Role of hepatokines in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity. In recent decades, accumulating evidence has revealed that the hepatokines, proteins mainly secreted by the liver, play important roles in the development of NAFLD by acting directly on the lipid and glucose metabolism. As a member of organokines, the hepatokines establish the communication between the liver and the adipose, muscular tissues. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the hepatokines and how they modulate the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders especially NAFLD.