Probiotics and liver fibrosis: An evidence-based review of the latest research

Abstract

• The therapeutic interventions for liver fibrosis are limited. • Probiotics can regulate intestinal dysfunction. • The intestinal flora can regulate the liver through the gut-liver axis. • Probiotics represent a promising novel approach for the management of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in the world, which can gradually develop into cirrhosis or even liver cancer, posing a serious threat to human health. The causes of liver fibrosis are multiple, including cholestasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other factors that may disrupt hepatic homeostasis and induce liver fibrosis. Until now, the primary treatment for liver fibrosis has been to inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells and suppress extracellular matrix production. The enterohepatic circulation establishes a strong bond between the liver and the intestine. Alterations of the intestinal flora may cause intestinal disorders and damage the liver through the gut-liver axis. Recent studies have shown that the regulation of the gut microbiota and the gut-liver axis play an important role in the treatment of liver fibrosis. Studies have shown that probiotics can improve the pathological condition of liver inflammation and oxidative stress and stop the progression of liver fibrosis by modulating the intestinal microbiome. This review summarizes the effects of probiotics in the subsequent treatment of liver fibrosis by altering bile acid metabolism, preventing oxidative stress and inflammation during liver fibrosis development, and providing new options for the adjuvant treatment of liver fibrosis.

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