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Review

Developments in understanding bile acid metabolism

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Pages 59-69 | Published online: 10 Jan 2014
 

Abstract

Bile acids (BAs) are not only facilitators participating in the absorption of dietary lipids and soluble vitamins, but are also important signaling molecules exerting versatile biophysiological effects. Three major signaling pathways, including the MAPK pathways, the nuclear hormone receptor farnesoid X receptor a-mediated pathways and the G protein-coupled receptor TGR5/M-BAR-mediated pathways, have been identified to be the targets of BAs. BAs, the biologically many-sided and toxic molecules, regulate the homeostasis of themselves via these signaling pathways. BAs also affect diverse metabolic status including glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy expenditure, immunity and others. BAs and their related signaling mechanisms are attractive therapeutic targets of various diseases such as metabolic syndrome.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors were supported, in whole or in part, by grants from the Uehara Memorial Foundation, the Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Notes

FXR: Farnesoid X receptor a; PXR: Pregnane X receptor; VDR: Vitamin D receptor.

BA: Bile acid; FXR: Farnesoid X receptor a.

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