The liver X receptor: a master regulator of the gut-liver axis and a target for non alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Since it is associated to the obesity epidemic, non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health issue. NAFLD ranges from benign hepatic steatosis, i.e. abnormally elevated triglyceride accumulation, to non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that can lead to irreversible liver damages. The search for pharmacological and dietary approaches to treat or prevent NAFLD has pointed at nuclear receptors as sensible targets. Indeed, nuclear receptors are ligand-sensitive transcription factors that play a central role in hepatic lipid metabolism. Among nuclear receptors, the liver X receptor has been identified as an oxysterol receptor. It is involved in the control of various aspects of lipid metabolism that are reviewed in this manuscript. We highlight the role of LXR in the gut-liver axis and the studies that have provided a rationale for strategies specifically targeting the hepatic activity of LXR in NAFLD.