Mechanism of action of mitochondrial dysfunction and intercellular communication in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

Wanyi Luo; Jinming Zhang; Muxin Yu; Chuwei Zheng; Guocheng Zeng; Xiaotian Ma; Xia Ji

doi:10.12449/JCH260833

Volume 42 Issue 8

Aug. 2026

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Mechanism of action of mitochondrial dysfunction and intercellular communication in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

DOI: 10.12449/JCH260833

Wanyi Luo^{1, 2},
Jinming Zhang^{2
,
,
,},
Muxin Yu³,
Chuwei Zheng²,
Guocheng Zeng^{1, 2},
Xiaotian Ma^{1, 2},
Xia Ji^{2
,
,
,}

1.
Graduate School，Zhejiang Chinese Medical University，Hangzhou 310000，China
2.
Department of Gastroenterology，The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University，Jiaxing，Zhejiang 314000，China
3.
College of Medicine，Jiaxing University，Jiaxing，Zhejiang 314000，China

Research funding:

Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (ZCLQN25H0306);

Medical and Health Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province (2025KY356);

The Science and Technology Program of Jiaxing (2024AY40023);

The Science and Technology Program of Jiaxing (2024AY30020)

More Information

Corresponding author: Zhang Jinming， zjm100123@126.com （ORCID： 0000-0003-2719-5269）; Ji Xia， jxjxey@126.com （ORCID： 0009-0003-9668-6253）
Received Date: 2025-12-10
Accepted Date: 2026-02-02
Published Date: 2026-08-25

Abstract

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） progresses to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis （MASH） due to mitochondrial homeostasis imbalance and dysfunction in hepatocytes caused by various factors such as lipotoxicity and inflammatory infiltration. Recent studies have confirmed that mitochondrial injury is closely associated with chronic inflammation， with extracellular vesicle （EV） acting as a key mediator linking the two processes. This article systematically reviews the molecular mechanisms of hepatocyte mitochondrial dysfunction in MAFLD/MASH， highlights the regulatory role of hepatocyte-derived EV in intrahepatic inflammation， and discusses the potential application prospects of mitochondria-targeted therapies and intercellular communication interventions in MAFLD/MASH， in order to provide a theoretical basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies for these diseases.
- Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis,
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction,
- Extracellular Vesicles,
- Cell Communication

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References(57)

References

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Mechanism of action of mitochondrial dysfunction and intercellular communication in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

DOI: 10.12449/JCH260833

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Mechanism of action of mitochondrial dysfunction and intercellular communication in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

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