Upregulation of miR-125b by estrogen protects against non-alcoholic fatty liver in female mice

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes [1,2]. It occurs mainly due to fat accumulation in the liver, and can lead to cirrhosis, which is not reversible and may ultimately progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [3,4]. Several population-based studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of NAFLD in premenopausal women is lower than that in men between the ages of 20 and 50years, and also lower than in postmenopausal women [5,6].
Source: Journal of Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research