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Pharmacological therapy of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Author(s) -
Hojo Mariko,
Watanabe Sumio
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
hepatology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.123
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1872-034X
pISSN - 1386-6346
DOI - 10.1111/j.1872-034x.2011.00780.x
Subject(s) - steatohepatitis , medicine , nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , steatosis , fibrosis , nonalcoholic steatohepatitis , alanine transaminase , clinical trial , fatty liver , transaminase , metabolic syndrome , disease , gastroenterology , pharmacology , biology , enzyme , obesity , biochemistry
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), unlike simple steatosis, is a potentially progressive disease. Various types of drugs have been explored for the treatment of NASH. We reviewed the various therapies available, with particular emphasis on their efficacy for the improvement of hepatic fibrosis. Treatments for NASH included lipase‐inhibiting agents, drugs that target components of metabolic syndrome, antioxidants, liver cytoprotectants, and suppressors of inflammatory cytokines. Alanine transaminase levels were significantly decreased and the grade of histologic features other than fibrosis was significantly improved in more than 75% of treatment arms across studies, yet the stage of liver fibrosis was significantly improved in less than 30% of treatment arms. Recently, drugs such as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ agonists have received attention for their anti‐fibrotic effect. However, due to a lack of large‐scale, high quality, long‐term clinical trials, the utility of any particular treatment for NASH is not yet clear. Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of individual drugs.