Objective To understand and analyze technique development of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and its application in chronic liver disease. Method The relevant literatures about the application of MRE in the field of chronic liver disease were reviewed. Results The liver fibrosis was a common pathway of chronic liver disease, which would progress to cirrhosis of the liver if untreated. The diagnosis and assessment of fibrosis was important in the treatment of patients with chronic liver disease. The liver biopsy was considered to be the reference standard for clinical assessment of liver fibrosis. However, this technique was invasive and still had inevitable drawbacks in the clinical practice. With the update of the imaging technology and equipment, the MRE had been developed as a safe and noninvasive examination method for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in the chronic liver disease, early diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, evaluation of focal liver lesions, and other clinical applications. Conclusion MRE is currently regarded as an attractive noninvasive technique in management of chronic liver disease.
Objective To systematically review the mechanisms of the gut microbiota-bile acid axis in chronic liver disease and related targeted therapeutic strategies, providing a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver disease. MethodsRelevant domestic and international literature on bile acid synthesis and metabolism, key receptor signaling pathways, gut microbiota-bile acid interactions and its relationships with chronic liver disease were retrieved and reviewed. ResultsBile acids regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, immune and inflammatory responses, and intestinal barrier function by activating receptors such as farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5). Gut microbiota participates in bile acid metabolic transformation through deconjugation, dehydroxylation and epimerization reaction, and the two form the gut microbiota-bile acid axis. Dysregulation of this axis can disrupt bile acid metabolism and is closely associated with the development of chronic liver diseases. Therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiota-bile acid axis include FXR agonists, TGR5 agonists, bile acid derivatives and gut microbiota modulation. ConclusionsBile acids are important signaling molecules in the gut-liver axis and participate in regulating the pathological processes of chronic liver disease through FXR, TGR5, and their downstream pathways. Targeting metabolic transformations and receptor signaling pathways related to the gut microbiota-bile acid axis has considerable translational potential.