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Abstract Details
Free Fatty Acid Receptors as Mediators and Therapeutic Targets in Liver Disease
Front Physiol. 2021 Apr 7;12:656441. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.656441.eCollection 2021.
Jordan D Secor1, Scott C Fligor1, Savas T Tsikis1, Lumeng J Yu1, Mark Puder1
Author information
1Vascular Biology Program and Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Abstract
Free fatty acid receptors (FFARs) are a class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that have wide-ranging effects on human physiology. The four well-characterized FFARs are FFAR1/GPR40, FFAR2/GPR43, FFAR3/GPR41, and FFAR4/GPR120. Short-chain (<6 carbon) fatty acids target FFAR2/GPR43 and FFAR3/GPR41. Medium- and long-chain fatty acids (6-12 and 13-21 carbon, respectively) target both FFAR1/GPR40 and FFAR4/GPR120. Signaling through FFARs has been implicated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD), and a variety of other liver disorders. FFARs are now regarded as targets for therapeutic intervention for liver disease, diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. In this review, we provide an in-depth, focused summary of the role FFARs play in liver health and disease.