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Review
. 2020 Oct 15;10(10):1445.
doi: 10.3390/biom10101445.

Metabolic Functions of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Hepatocytes-Potential Applications for Diabetes and NAFLD

Takefumi Kimura  1   2 , Sai P Pydi  1 , Jonathan Pham  1 , Naoki Tanaka  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Metabolic Functions of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Hepatocytes-Potential Applications for Diabetes and NAFLD

Takefumi Kimura et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors that mediate the function of extracellular ligands. Understanding how GPCRs work at the molecular level has important therapeutic implications, as 30-40% of the drugs currently in clinical use mediate therapeutic effects by acting on GPCRs. Like many other cell types, liver function is regulated by GPCRs. More than 50 different GPCRs are predicted to be expressed in the mouse liver. However, knowledge of how GPCRs regulate liver metabolism is limited. A better understanding of the metabolic role of GPCRs in hepatocytes, the dominant constituent cells of the liver, could lead to the development of novel drugs that are clinically useful for the treatment of various metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this review, we describe the functions of multiple GPCRs expressed in hepatocytes and their role in metabolic processes.

Keywords: G protein-coupled receptor; GPCR; NAFLD; NASH; diabetes; hepatocyte; liver; metabolism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest with this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
G-proteins’ classification and downstream signals.
Figure 2
Figure 2
G protein-coupled receptors-mediated glycogenesis in hepatocytes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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