Microbiome-Based Metabolic Therapeutic Approaches in Alcoholic Liver Disease

Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 6;23(15):8749. doi: 10.3390/ijms23158749.

Abstract

Alcohol consumption is a global healthcare problem. Chronic alcohol consumption generates a wide spectrum of hepatic lesions, the most characteristic of which are steatosis, hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Alcoholic liver diseases (ALD) refer to liver damage and metabolomic changes caused by excessive alcohol intake. ALD present several clinical stages of severity found in liver metabolisms. With increased alcohol consumption, the gut microbiome promotes a leaky gut, metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, liver inflammation, and hepatocellular injury. Much attention has focused on ALD, such as alcoholic fatty liver (AFL), alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), alcoholic cirrhosis (AC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a partnership that reflects the metabolomic significance. Here, we report on the global function of inflammation, inhibition, oxidative stress, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) mechanisms in the liver biology framework. In this tutorial review, we hypothetically revisit therapeutic gut microbiota-derived alcoholic oxidative stress, liver inflammation, inflammatory cytokines, and metabolic regulation. We summarize the perspective of microbial therapy of genes, gut microbes, and metabolic role in ALD. The end stage is liver transplantation or death. This review may inspire a summary of the gut microbial genes, critical inflammatory molecules, oxidative stress, and metabolic routes, which will offer future promising therapeutic compounds in ALD.

Keywords: alcohol consumption; cirrhosis; fibrosis; gut microbiome; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver injury; liver transplantation; metabolomics; steatohepatitis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / metabolism
  • Fatty Liver, Alcoholic* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic* / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Microbiota*