Role of amino acids in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in the development of fatty liver disease

ZHU Bowen; WANG Xingyun; GUO Xirong

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0304

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (10) : 1070-1073. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0304

Pediatric Metabolic Diseases Column

Role of amino acids in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in the development of fatty liver disease

ZHU Bowen, WANG Xingyun, GUO Xirong

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Abstract

Amino acids, as the basic building blocks of proteins and important metabolic signalling molecules, play a key role in the regulation of glycolipid metabolism.Studies have shown that metabolic disorders of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), aromatic amino acids and sulphur-containing amino acids are closely related to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).BCAAs induce oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction through activation of the mTOR signalling pathway, which promotes insulin resistance and hepatic lipid deposition.In addition, leucine deficiency enhances insulin sensitivity and reduces hepatic glucose production through the GCN2 pathway, while methionine deficiency regulates lipid metabolism through FGF21 signalling.Clinical studies have found that serum BCAAs levels significantly correlate with fatty liver severity, suggesting their value as potential biomarkers.Although intervention strategies targeting amino acid metabolism, including BCAA-restricted diets, Branched-Chain α-Ketoacid Dehydrogenase Kinase (BCKDK) inhibitors, have shown promising results in improving hepatic metabolism, the metabolic side effects of treatments such as mTORC1 inhibitors suggest the complexity of the amino acid perception network.Current challenges include the regulation of the dynamic balance of amino acid metabolic networks, the long-term safety validation of interventions, and the prediction of differences in response to individualised treatments.Future studies need to incorporate multi-omics techniques to elucidate the tissue-specific mechanisms of amino acid sensing signalling pathways, develop individualised treatment plans based on metabolic typing, so as to provide new ideas for the precise prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

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amino acids / glycolipid metabolism / non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

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ZHU Bowen, WANG Xingyun, GUO Xirong. Role of amino acids in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in the development of fatty liver disease[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2025, 33(10): 1070-1073 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0304

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