Pathogenesis and management issues for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Figure 1 Lipid metabolism within the hepatocytes. Liver lipid content is determined by the equilibrium of several processes: import of free fatty acids (FFAs) from the adipose tissue, de novo FFA synthesis in hepatocytes, beta-oxidation of FFAs, esterification of FFAs into triglycerides and export of triglycerides as very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). Hepatic steatosisis is a consequence of imbalance in those processes in favour of excessive triglyceride (TG) accumulation. FFA:free fatty acids; TG: triglycerides; VLDL: very low density lipoproteins; Apo B:apolipoprotein B.