From:  Gut microbiota-derived metabolites and chronic inflammatory diseases

Gut microbiota-derived metabolite regulation of MASLD

MetabolitesGut microbesFunctions
Branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine)Bifidobacterium, Clostridium sporogenes, Prevotella copri, Phocaeicola vulgatus

  • Increase mitochondrial lipid oxidation

  • Increase hepatic insulin resistance

  • Stimulate hepatic lipogenesis

Short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate, butyrate)Bifidobacterium, Bacteroidetes, Campylobacter jejuni, Coprococcus, Clostridium, Roseburia, Staphylococcus aureus, Faecalibacterium

  • Improve glucose homeostasis

  • Regulate hepatic steatosis through GPRs

  • Epigenetic modification to improve hepatic steatosis

Choline metabolites (choline, trimethylamine, trimethylamine N-oxide)Bifidobacterium, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Proteobacteria

  • Increase hepatic oxidative stress

  • Reduce bile acid production

  • Dysregulate hepatocyte lipid metabolism

Bile acid metabolites (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid)Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterobacter, Bacteroides, Clostridium

  • Inhibit hepatic oxidative stress

  • Promote insulin sensitivity

  • Improve hepatic steatosis

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GPR: G-protein-coupled receptors; MASLD: metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease