The Role of Vitamin A in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Vitamin A, an essential micronutrient, plays a critical role in a variety of physiological functions, including regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis in the liver. Vitamin A is stored in the body mainly in quiescent hepatic star cells (HSC) in the liver. Hepatocytes metabolize vitamin A and play a role in changes in glucose and lipid metabolism in response to vitamin A metabolites. Activated HSCs, however, lose their vitamin A content and lead to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a form of liver fat that is not dependent on alcohol consumption. This review is aimed to evaluate the potential role of vitamin A metabolism and the therapeutic role of vitamin A metabolites in the progression of liver disease in NAFLD.