Abstract
Bile acids are the end products of cholesterol catabolism. Hepatic bile acid synthesis accounts for a major fraction of daily cholesterol turnover in humans. Biliary secretion of bile acids generates bile flow and facilitates biliary secretion of lipids, endogenous metabolites, and xenobiotics. In intestine, bile acids facilitate the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids and fat-soluble vitamins. Through activation of nuclear receptors and G protein-coupled receptors and interaction with gut microbiome, bile acids critically regulate host metabolism and innate and adaptive immunity and are involved in the pathogenesis of cholestasis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, alcohol-associated liver disease, type-2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Bile acids and their derivatives have been developed as potential therapeutic agents for treating chronic metabolic and inflammatory liver diseases and gastrointestinal disorders.
Significance Statement Bile acids facilitate biliary cholesterol solubilization and dietary lipid absorption, regulate host metabolism and immunity, and modulate gut microbiome. Targeting bile acid metabolism and signaling holds promise for treating metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
Footnotes
- Received April 16, 2024.
- Revision received June 26, 2024.
- Accepted June 28, 2024.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [Grants 1R01 DK117965-01A1 and 1R01 DK131064-01] (to T.L.).
No author has an actual or perceived conflict of interest with the contents of this article.
This is an update of a previous review article (Li and Chiang, 2014). A minor part of the text remains the same as the previously published review article with the permission of the editorial office.
- Copyright © 2024 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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