Apoptosis in liver injury and liver diseases

Abstract

The liver is a multifunctional organ that has important roles such as metabolism, synthesis, and detoxification. Enhanced hepatocyte apoptosis and impaired liver regeneration are the most common liver disorders in acute liver failure. Hepatocyte apoptosis also emerges as a fundamental component of chronic liver diseases. Liver tissue fibrosis is triggered by hepatocyte apoptosis, and the excess fibrosis causes liver disease to progress to cirrhosis, which causes chronic liver failure. Although hepatocyte apoptosis is a cardinal feature of liver diseases, it is generally believed that apoptosis deletes hepatitis virus-infected hepatocytes and prevents carcinogenesis and that antiapoptotic factors are activated in the chronic injured liver. This chapter highlights the mechanism of pro- and antiapoptosis in liver diseases' underlying molecular basis.