Hepatic lipogenesis: Nutritional control and pathophysiological relevance

Abstract

Hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is important in generating various fatty acids to meet the needs of cellular functions such as cell membrane structural composition and molecular signaling. Like many cellular processes, hepatic DNL is tightly regulated by different dietary nutrient composition and hormonal fluctuation. For example, dietary glucose and fructose could act as a substrate for DNL; insulin together with the stimulation of glucose could induce signaling to enhance hepatic DNL, while glucagon has an inhibitory effect on hepatic DNL. However, the dysregulation of hepatic DNL could lead to metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this article, nutrient composition and hormonal regulation of hepatic DNL, as well as the implication of hepatic DNL in contributing to metabolic diseases will be discussed in detail.