MTE #31: Preclinical Models of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease and Hepatotoxicity (Ticketed)

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of chronic liver injury worldwide and comprises a range of disorders including simple steatosis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This session explores various animal models that have been developed for the study of ALD pathogenesis. Presenters review a recently developed chronic plus binge ethanol feeding model, which induces significant steatosis, hepatic neutrophil infiltration, and liver injury. Another clinically relevant model of high-fat diet feeding plus binge ethanol has also been developed, which highlights the risk of excessive binge drinking in overweight or obese individuals. Speakers discuss how various animal models recapitulate some features of the different stages of ALD, and their use to study ALD pathogenesis and to test for therapeutic drugs/components. Experts additionally review variability in these models—depending on mouse genetic background, ethanol dose, and animal facility environment—and their importance in addressing the pathogenesis, clinical relevance, and therapeutic advances in ALD.