Research Article Details
Article ID: | A24919 |
PMID: | 22360487 |
Source: | Curr Med Chem |
Title: | Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: what can we learn from animal models? |
Abstract: | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent causes of abnormal liver function and correlates with central adiposity, obesity, insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pathological spectrum of NAFLD ranges from fatty liver to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Though NAFLD and NASH are becoming a major public health problem, ethical constraints on obtaining human liver tissue limit the interpretability of the data and the ability to delineate cause and effect from complex, interactive disease pathogenic pathways. Animal models of NASH can provide critical information leading to identify potential drug targets and to understand their molecular mechanisms, and are platforms for compound screening in drug development and for the assessment of novel therapeutic strategies. This review is aimed to offer an updated overview of the nutritional, genetic and pharmacologic animal models of NASH. Though the information derived from these models has clear relevance for the comprehension of the molecular basis of human disease, most of them fail to reproduce the full spectrum of liver pathology and the metabolic context that characterizes human NASH. Consequently, it is necessary to establish animal models that can best mimic the actual etiology, progression, and pathogenesis of the disease, and prove effectiveness for examining and selecting compounds with potential therapeutic benefit in NASH. |
DOI: | 10.2174/092986712799462586 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S01 | Improve insulin resistance | insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance | Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist | Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
Target ID | Target Name | GENE | Action | Class | UniProtKB ID | Entry Name |
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Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |