Fatty Liver: Symptoms, Causes, And Biochemical Mechanisms

Fatty Liver: Symptoms, Causes, And Biochemical Mechanisms

Fatty liver.
Answer:

Excessive accumulation of lipids especially triacylglycerols in the liver results in fatty liver.

Features:

• Occurrence of droplets of triacylglycerols in the entire cytoplasm of hepatic cells.
• Impairment in metabolic functions of the liver.
• Fibrotic changes in the liver.
• Cirrhosis of the liver.

Causes:

1. Increased synthesis of triacylglycerols.

• It occurs due to

1. High mobilization of free fatty acids from adipose tissue and their influx into the liver.
2. Diabetes mellitus
3. Starvation
4. Alcoholism
5. High-fat diet.

2. Impaired synthesis of lipoproteins – This may be due to.

1. Defect in phospholipid synthesis.
2. Block in apoprotein formation.
3. Failure in the formation/ secretion of lipoprotein.
4. Certain chemicals like carbon tetrachloride.
5. This inhibits protein synthesis.
6. Decreases ATP availability.
7. Deficiency of vitamin E.

3. Endocrine factors

• Certain hormones like ACTH, insulin, thyroid hormones, adrenocortiocoids promote fatty liver.