Probiotics and Alcoholic Liver Disease: Treatment and Potential Mechanisms

Figure 1

Proposed mechanisms of probiotic function in ALD. Ethanol consumption causes a gut bacterial overgrowth and a dysbiosis leading to impaired mucus layer and dysfunctional tight junctions. The damaged epithelial barrier function results in endotoxemia. Elevated endotoxin activates Kupffer cells in the liver and induces hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Probiotics and related products prevent ethanol-induced effects in the intestine and the liver through multiple mechanisms: (1) positive modification of gut microbiota; (2) reduction of ROS production in intestine and liver; (3) enhancement of mucus layer component, ITF, and antimicrobial peptide, CRAMP, and tight junction protein claudin-1 expression through increased HIF signaling; (4) inhibition of miR122a expression leading to occludin upregulation; and (5) activation of hepatic AMPK.