Multifunctional role of oral bacteria in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Figure 3 The connection between oral microbiota and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Oral microbiota plays a significant role in advancing liver fat deposition, inflammatory responses, and fibrosis, thus expediting the progression from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This effect is mediated through four principal mechanisms: Translocation of oral microbes, inflammatory responses, virulence factors of oral microbes, and disruptions in lipid metabolism. OMV: Outer membrane vesicles; LPS: Lipopolysaccharide; INF-α: Interferon alpha; IL: Interleukin; VLDL: Very-low-density lipoprotein; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.