Hepatic lipid droplets: A balancing act between energy storage and metabolic dysfunction in NAFLD.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined by the abundance of lipid droplets (LDs) in hepatocytes. While historically considered simply depots for energy storage, LDs are increasingly recognized to impact a wide range of biological processes that influence cellular metabolism, signaling, and function. While progress has been made toward understanding the factors leading to LD accumulation (i.e. steatosis) and its progression to advanced stages of NAFLD and/or systemic metabolic dysfunction, much remains to be resolved.

Scope of review

This review covers many facets of LD biology. We provide a brief overview of the major pathways of lipid accretion and degradation that contribute to steatosis and how they are altered in NAFLD. The major focus is on the r

SUBMITTER: Mashek DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8324678 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature