Revista de histología molecular y fisiología médica

Addressing Drug-induced Hepatic Steatosis: Overcoming Obstacles with Non-invasive Approaches

Abstract

Eshitha Athmakur

Drug candidates have the potential to trigger hepatic steatosis, a condition characterized by the accumulation of lipids in liver cells without observable morphological alterations. Clinical investigations have identified two distinct fat deposition patterns: diffuse and non-diffuse. The more prevalent diffuse pattern contrasts with the non-diffuse category, which encompasses various subtypes, including geographic, focal, sub-capsular, multifocal, and perivascular patterns. Given the narrow safety margins associated with drug-induced hepatic steatosis, it is imperative to devise means for monitoring its incidence and severity in both preclinical and clinical research settings. Nevertheless, the conventional gold standard for diagnosing hepatic steatosis, liver biopsy, presents numerous drawbacks such as invasiveness, risk of bleeding and complications, as well as sampling inaccuracies due to the uneven distribution of fat within the liver. Consequently, liver biopsy falls short in terms of suitability for monitoring drug-induced hepatic steatosis, leaving a void in established monitoring methods for this condition.