Role of gut microbiota: Obesity and NAFLD
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease in developed countries. Obesity
is the most important risk factor for metabolic syndrome and NAFLD. Accumulated evidence has revealed that gut
microbial compositional changes may be associated with more energy harvesting from the diet, which promotes
increased fatty acid uptake from adipose tissue and shifts lipid metabolism from oxidation to de novo production.
Furthermore, changes in intestinal barrier function contribute to metabolic endotoxemia in the form of low-grade
microbial inflammation. Persistent inflammation exacerbates NAFLD progression. In this review, we discuss the role
of gut microbiota in obesity and NAFLD.