Lipid Accumulation in HepG2 Cells Exposed to Free Fatty Acids

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common liver disease whose major feature is fat in the liver along with inflammation, which can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis. While no definitive cause has been identified, the cellular toxicity of numerous fatty acid metabolites is suspected. The formation of fatty droplets has been proposed as a marker for lipotoxicity caused by fatty acid derived species. Here we examine the production of lipid droplets in HepG2 cells exposed to palmitic and oleic acids.