ABSTRACT

Apoptosis is important for the regulation of many physiological and pathological processes. Th e molecular machinery of apoptosis is composed of the death receptor pathway (extrinsic), the mitochondrial pathway (intrinsic), and other complicated signaling networks. In the death receptor pathway, following ligands binding to the receptors, intracellular adaptor molecules are recruited to the receptor and subsequently the apoptotic signal is transmitted. In the mitochondrial pathway, apoptotic signals trigger the release of mitochondrial apoptogenic factors and mitochondrial dysfunction. Apoptosis signaling pathway can be abnormally activated in various pathological processes in the liver, including acute and chronic hepatitis, fi brogenesis, liver cirrhosis and liver carcinogenesis. Th us delineation of apoptosis mechanisms has brought out new paradigms of understanding in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. Inhibition of apoptosis could reverse liver injury by blocking the death process. Hence, dissection of the mechanisms in apoptosis underlying liver diseases would provide the basis of novel therapeutic strategies.