The procarcinogenic role of peroxidized lipids in the diet

Excessive fat consumption is associated with enhanced lipid storage in the liver (hepatic steatosis) and the risk for the development of hepatitis (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH) and of liver cancer. The mechanisms underlying the progression of a fatty liver to NASH are incompletely known. We are currently investigating whether the intake of peroxidized fatty acids, as being present in Western style diet, may trigger the outbreak of hepatic inflammation. We found that peroxidized fatty acids stimulate mesenchymal cells to release pro-inflammatory (TNF-alpha) and growth-inducing cytokines (HB-EGF), which may promote the outgrowth of hepatic malignancy (Sagmeister et al., 2008; Böhm et al., 2013).