Role of autophagy in liver diseases

Since the initial discovery of autophagy in rat liver over 60 years ago, studies on hepatic autophagy have provided insight into the mechanisms and physiological functions of autophagy. These findings include the essential role of starvation-induced autophagy in supplying nutrients such as amino acids, glucose, and free fatty acids for energy production and the synthesis of macromolecules. Furthermore, it has been established that autophagy selectively degrades intracellular components such as p62/SQSTM1- and ubiquitin-containing droplets, as well as damaged organelles for intracellular quality control in hepatic cells. Dysfunction of hepatic autophagy can lead to several liver diseases, including hepatic tumors. In this review, we describe the physiological role of hepatic autophagy and its pathophysiological significance in several chronic liver disorders.