Li Yu-Qi, Xin Lei, Zhao Yu-Chi, Li Shang-Qi, Li Ya-Nuo
Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China.
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China.
World J Hepatol. 2023 Jun 27;15(6):786-796. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v15.i6.786.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to fatty liver disease caused by liver injury factors other than alcohol. The disease is characterized by diffuse fat infiltration, including simple steatosis (no inflammatory fat deposition), nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and so on, which may cause liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer in the later stage of disease progression. At present, the pathogenesis of NAFLD is still being studied. The "two-hit" theory, represented by lipid metabolism disorder and inflammatory reactions, is gradually enriched by the "multiple-hit" theory, which includes multiple factors, such as insulin resistance and adipocyte dysfunction. In recent years, vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB) has been reported to have the potential to regulate lipid metabolism and is expected to become a novel target for ameliorating metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This review summarizes the regulatory role of VEGFB in the onset and development of NAFLD and illustrates its underlying molecular mechanism. In conclusion, the signaling pathway mediated by VEGFB in the liver may provide an innovative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD.
非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）是指由酒精以外的肝脏损伤因素引起的脂肪性肝病。该疾病的特征是弥漫性脂肪浸润，包括单纯性脂肪变性（无炎症性脂肪沉积）、非酒精性脂肪性肝炎、肝纤维化等，在疾病进展后期可能导致肝硬化、肝衰竭，甚至肝癌。目前，NAFLD的发病机制仍在研究中。以脂质代谢紊乱和炎症反应为代表的“二次打击”理论正逐渐被包括胰岛素抵抗和脂肪细胞功能障碍等多种因素的“多次打击”理论所丰富。近年来，有报道称血管内皮生长因子B（VEGFB）具有调节脂质代谢的潜力，有望成为改善肥胖和2型糖尿病等代谢性疾病的新靶点。本文综述了VEGFB在NAFLD发生发展中的调节作用，并阐述了其潜在的分子机制。总之，VEGFB在肝脏中介导的信号通路可能为NAFLD的诊断和治疗提供一种创新方法。
