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World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. Feb 6, 2013; 4(1): 4-8
Published online Feb 6, 2013. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v4.i1.4
Inhibition of apoptosis in the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Stella D Bouziana, Konstantinos Tziomalos
Stella D Bouziana, Konstantinos Tziomalos, First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Author contributions: Bouziana SD drafted the paper; Tziomalos K revised the draft critically for important intellectual content.
Correspondence to: Konstantinos Tziomalos, MD, PhD, First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece. ktziomalos@yahoo.com
Telephone: +30-2310-994621 Fax: +30-2310-994773
Received: September 19, 2012
Revised: December 26, 2012
Accepted: January 11, 2013
Published online: February 6, 2013
Processing time: 180 Days and 11.1 Hours
Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the developed world. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is multifactorial, involving obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress. Accordingly, several treatments targeting these pathways have been evaluated in patients with NAFLD but have either shown limited efficacy or an unfavorable safety profile. On the other hand, increased hepatocyte apoptosis also appears to be implicated in the development and progression of NAFLD and recent pilot studies suggest that inhibition of apoptosis might represent a useful approach in this disease. However, several issues pertaining both to the efficacy and safety of this new class of agents remain unresolved and larger studies are required to clarify the role of this therapeutic modality in the management of NAFLD.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Fatty liver; Carcinogenesis; Cirrhosis; Caspase