Title:GLP-1/GLP-1RAs: New Options for the Drug Treatment of NAFLD
Volume: 30
Issue: 2
Author(s): Haoran Jiang and Linquan Zang*
Affiliation:
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Keywords:
Glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, steatosis.
Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has recently emerged as a global public health concern.
Currently, the cornerstone of NAFLD treatment is lifestyle modification and, if necessary, weight loss. However,
compliance is a challenge, and this approach alone may not be sufficient to halt and treat the more serious
disease development, so medication is urgently needed. Nevertheless, no medicines are approved to treat
NAFLD. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an enteropeptide hormone that inhibits glucagon synthesis, promotes
insulin secretion, and delays gastric emptying. GLP-1 has been found in recent studies to be beneficial
for the management of NAFLD, and the marketed GLP-1 agonist drugs have different degrees of effectiveness
for NAFLD while lowering blood glucose. In this article, we review GLP-1 and its physiological roles, the
pathogenesis of NAFLD, the correlation between NAFLD and GLP-1 signaling, and potential strategies for
GLP-1 treatment of NAFLD.