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REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1577724
This article is part of the Research Topic New Progress on the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Incidence and Prevention of Liver Diseases View all 13 articles
Unlocking the Gut-Liver Axis: Microbial Contributions to the Pathogenesis of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease
Provisionally accepted
Mykhailo Buchynskyi 1*
Iryna Kamyshna 1
Iryna Halabitska 1
Pavlo Petakh 2*
Oksana Kunduzova 3
Valentyn Oksenych 4*
Oleksandr Kamyshnyi 1- 1 Ternopil State Medical University, Ternopil, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine
- 2 Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
- 3 INSERM U1048 Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Toulouse, France
- 4 University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation and subsequent inflammation. This condition is closely linked to metabolic syndrome and obesity, with its prevalence rising due to sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie diets. The pathogenesis of MAFLD involves multiple factors, including insulin resistance, lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in MAFLD development, with dysbiosis contributing to liver inflammation through various mechanisms, such as enhanced intestinal permeability and the translocation of bacterial products like lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Microbial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids, influence hepatic function and immune responses, with potential implications for disease progression. Specific gut microbiome signatures have been identified in MAFLD patients, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Moreover, gut-derived toxins, such as endotoxins, lipopolysaccharides, trimethylamine-N-oxide and bacterial metabolites, significantly influence liver damage and inflammation, highlighting the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and hepatic health. This review comprehensively examines the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and MAFLD, focusing on underlying pathogenic mechanisms, potential biomarkers, and emerging microbiome-targeted therapeutic strategies for disease management.
Keywords: MAFLD, microbiota, FXR, tgr5, Metabolism
Received: 16 Feb 2025; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Buchynskyi, Kamyshna, Halabitska, Petakh, Kunduzova, Oksenych and Kamyshnyi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Mykhailo Buchynskyi, Ternopil State Medical University, Ternopil, 46002, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine
Pavlo Petakh, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Valentyn Oksenych, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5020, Hordaland, Norway
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