The Role of Gut Microbiota-Bile Acids Axis in the Progression of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an emerging global health problem affecting 25–30% of the total population, refers to excessive lipid accumulation in the liver accompanied by insulin resistance (IR) without significant alcohol intake. The increasing prevalence of NAFLD will lead to an increasing number of cirrhosis patients, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) requiring liver transplantation, while the current treatments for NAFLD and its advanced diseases are suboptimal. Accordingly, it is necessary to find signaling pathways and targets related to the pathogenesis of NAFLD for the development of novel drugs. A large number of studies and reviews have described the critical roles of bile acids (BAs) and their receptors in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. The gut microbiota (GM), whose composition varies between healthy and NAFLD patients, promotes the transformation of more than 50 secondary bile acids and is involved in the pathophysiology of NAFLD through the GM-BAs axis. Correspondingly, BAs inhibit the overgrowth of GM and maintain a healthy gut through their antibacterial effects. Here we review the biosynthesis, enterohepatic circulation, and major receptors of BAs, as well as the relationship of GM, BAs, and the pathogenesis of NAFLD in different disease progression. This article also reviews several therapeutic approaches for the management and prevention of NAFLD targeting the GM-BAs axis.