Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) are key molecules in generating bile flow, which is an essential function of the liver. In the last decades, there have been great advances in the understanding of BA physiology, and new insights have emerged regarding the role of BAs in determining cell damage and death in several liver diseases. This new knowledge has helped to better delineate the pathophysiology of cholestasis and the adaptive responses of hepatocytes to cholestatic liver injury as well as of the mechanisms of injury of biliary epithelia. In this context, therapeutic approaches for liver diseases using hydrophilic BA (i.e., ursodeoxycholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic, and, more recently, norursodeoxycholic acid), have been revamped. In the present review, we summarize current experimental and clinical data regarding these BAs and its role in the treatment of certain liver diseases.
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The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
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Financial support and sponsorship: This article was partially supported by the Chilean government through the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT 1119145 to M.A.) and the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (grant CONICYT PIA/Basal PFB12, Basal Centre for Excellence in Science and Technology to M.A.).
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Cabrera, D., Arab, J.P., Arrese, M. (2019). UDCA, NorUDCA, and TUDCA in Liver Diseases: A Review of Their Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications. In: Fiorucci, S., Distrutti, E. (eds) Bile Acids and Their Receptors. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 256. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2019_241
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