Gut–Liver Axis as a Therapeutic Target for Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Abstract

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a liver disease that remains difficult to predict and diagnose, and the underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully clarified. The gut–liver axis refers to the reciprocal interactions between the gut and the liver, and its homeostasis plays a prominent role in maintaining liver health. It has been recently reported that patients and animals with DILI have a disrupted gut–liver axis, involving altered gut microbiota composition, increased intestinal permeability and lipopolysaccharide translocation, decreased short-chain fatty acids production, and impaired bile acid metabolism homeostasis. The present review will summarize the evidence from both clinical and preclinical studies about the role of the gut–liver axis in the pathogenesis of DILI. Moreover, we will focus attention on the potential therapeutic strategies for DILI based on improving gut–liver axis function, including herbs and phytochemicals, probiotics, fecal microbial transplantation, postbiotics, bile acids, and Farnesoid X receptor agonists.

Keywords

• drug-induced liver injury
• gut–liver axis
• gut microbiota
• metabolites
• bile acid