The role of TNF in metabolic disorders and liver diseases

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine critical to the pathology of liver disease. In the carbohydrate metabolism, TNF has been demonstrated to impede the insulin signaling pathway, thereby precipitating glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. In lipid metabolism, TNF upregulates genes implicated in fatty acid synthesis, resulting in increased lipid accumulation within the liver. In amino acid metabolism, TNF has shown to promote the gene expression for amino acid catabolism, leading to decreased protein synthesis. Additionally, TNF stimulates the production of other chemokines and inflammatory cytokines that can further exacerbate liver injury. Overall, TNF is crucial in developing liver diseases by disrupting various metabolic pathways in the liver, causing insulin resistance, lipid accumulation, and decreased protein synthesis. This review summarizes the present understanding of TNF's role in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolism in liver disease together with its potential therapeutic implications.

Keywords: Inflammatory response; Liver diseases; Metabolic disorders; TNF; Therapeutic implication.