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Research progress on the role of the microbiota-gut-liver axis immune pathway in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

YUAN Shun-Ling^1,2, HUANG Yuan-Qi¹, LI Chuang-Tao¹, XU Di-Qun³, ZHENG Xi^1,2,*

¹Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China；²Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China；³School of Physical Education, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a widely prevalent chronic liver disease that presents significant challenges to public health and medical care worldwide, yet its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in MASLD. Liver inflammation is a key factor in the onset and progression of this disease, and the gut microbiota significantly influences the liver's immune system and inflammatory responses. This article aims to review how both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gut microbes regulate liver inflammation by activating liver immunity and enhancing liver immune protection, respectively, through the microbiota-gut-liver axis. This review seeks to provide valuable insights for the improvement and treatment of MASLD.

Key words: metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH); gut-liver axis; gut microbiota; immunity

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 郑烯　　E-mail:

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2025.0075

Citing This Article：

YUAN Shun-Ling, HUANG Yuan-Qi, LI Chuang-Tao, XU Di-Qun, ZHENG Xi. Research progress on the role of the microbiota-gut-liver axis immune pathway in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Acta Physiol Sin 2026; 78 (3): 579-591 (in Chinese with English abstract).