Mechanisms of Metal-Induced Hepatic Inflammation

Worldwide, there is an increasing prevalence of hepatic diseases. The most common diseases include alcoholic-associated liver disease (ALD), metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease/ metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MAFLD/MASH) and viral hepatitis. While there are many important mediators of these diseases, there is increasing recognition of the importance of the inflammatory immune response in hepatic disease pathogenesis.

Hepatic inflammation triggers the onset and progression of liver diseases. Chronic and sustained inflammation can lead to fibrosis, then cirrhosis and eventually end-stage cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma. Importantly, growing evidence suggest that metal exposure plays a role in hepatic disease pathogenesis. While in recent years, studies have linked metal exposure and hepatic steatosis, studies emphasizing metal-induced hepatic inflammation are limited. Hepatic inflammation is an important hallmark of fatty liver disease.

This review aims to summarize the mechanisms of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr)-induced hepatic inflammation as they contribute to hepatic toxicity and to identify data gaps for future investigation.