Association between the gut microbiota-Toll-like receptor axis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease

Yuanyuan SUN; Cunzheng ZHANG; Jingyuan XU; Chunxiao ZHOU

doi:10.12449/JCH260625

Volume 42 Issue 6

Jun. 2026

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Article Navigation > Journal of Clinical Hepatology > 2026 > 42(6): 1404-1410

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Association between the gut microbiota-Toll-like receptor axis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease

DOI: 10.12449/JCH260625

Department of Gastroenterology，Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University，Suzhou，Jiangsu 215002，China

Research funding:

Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation (SBK20250408076)

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Corresponding author: ZHOU Chunxiao， zhouchunxiao@njmu.edu.cn （ORCID： 0009-0006-6713-0944）
Received Date: 2025-10-24
Accepted Date: 2025-11-19
Published Date: 2026-06-25

Abstract

Abstract

The pathogenesis of metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can lead to translocation of bacterial derivatives （such as lipopolysaccharide）， which drives hepatic inflammatory response and metabolic imbalance by activating Toll-like receptors （TLR） and their downstream signaling pathways. This article systematically reviews the mechanism of action of the gut microbiota-TLR axis in MAFLD， and elaborates on the function of the key receptors such as TLR2 and TLR4 and the lesser-studied members （TLR5， TLR7， and TLR9）. This article also summarizes the downstream signaling events after TLR activation， including the canonical NF-κB and MAPK pathways， as well as the role of the JAK-STAT and PI3K-Akt pathways in the pathological mechanism of MAFLD. Finally， this article reviews the potential intervention strategies for MAFLD by targeting gut microbiota and regulating the gut microbiota-TLR signaling axis， in order to provide new ideas for clinical prevention and treatment.
- Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease,
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome,
- Toll-Like Receptor

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References(53)

References

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Association between the gut microbiota-Toll-like receptor axis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease

DOI: 10.12449/JCH260625

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Association between the gut microbiota-Toll-like receptor axis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease

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