Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Aug 31;45(9):7197-7211.
doi: 10.3390/cimb45090455.

The Intestinal Microbiome and the Metabolic Syndrome-How Its Manipulation May Affect Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)

Stephen D H Malnick  1   2 , Sheral Ohayon Michael  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The Intestinal Microbiome and the Metabolic Syndrome-How Its Manipulation May Affect Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)

Stephen D H Malnick et al. Curr Issues Mol Biol. .

Abstract

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is now the predominant liver disease worldwide consequent to the epidemic of obesity. The intestinal microbiome (IM), consisting of the bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses residing in the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role in human metabolism and preserving the epithelial barrier function. Disturbances in the IM have been shown to influence the development and progression of MAFLD and play a role in the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). The main treatment for MAFLD involves lifestyle changes, which also influence the IM. Manipulation of the IM by fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) has been approved for the treatment of recurrent Closteroides difficile infection. This may be administered by endoscopic administration from the lower or upper GI tract. Other methods of administration include nasogastric tube, enema, and oral capsules of stool from healthy donors. In this narrative review, we elaborate on the role of the IM in developing MS and MAFLD and on the current experience with IM modulation by FMT on MAFLD.

Keywords: fatty liver; fecal microbial transplantation; intestinal microbiome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The mechanisms by which intestinal dysbiosis may influence the development of liver disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The potential effects of FMT on MAFLD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lorenzo C., Williams K., Hunt K.J., Haffner S.M. The National Cholesterol Education Program—Adult Treatment Panel III, International Diabetes Federation, and World Health Organization Definitions of the Metabolic Syndrome as Predictors of Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2007;30:8–13. doi: 10.2337/dc06-1414. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Khunti K., Taub N., Tringham J., Jarvis J., Farooqi A., Skinner T.C., Davies M.J. Screening for the Metabolic Syndrome Using Simple Anthropometric Measurements in South Asian and White Europeans: A Population-Based Screening Study. The Leicester Ethnic Atherosclerosis and Diabetes Risk (LEADER) Study. Prim. Care Diabetes. 2010;4:25–32. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2010.01.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shiwaku K., Nogi A., Kitajima K., Anuurad E., Enkhmaa B., Yamasaki M., Kim J.-M., Kim I.-S., Lee S.-K., Oyunsuren T., et al. Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome Using the Modified ATP III Definitions for Workers in Japan, Korea and Mongolia. J. Occup. Health. 2005;47:126–135. doi: 10.1539/joh.47.126. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Saklayen M.G. The Global Epidemic of the Metabolic Syndrome. Curr. Hypertens. Rep. 2018;20:12. doi: 10.1007/s11906-018-0812-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Younossi Z.M., Golabi P., Paik J.M., Henry A., Van Dongen C., Henry L. The Global Epidemiology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): A Systematic Review. Hepatology. 2023;77:1335–1347. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000004. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources