Nutrigenomics of fat-soluble vitamins and micronutrients in hepatocyte lipotoxicity and MASLD

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a highly prevalent liver disorder deriving from the chronic exposure to hepatocyte steatosis and its lipotoxicity effects, as mitochondrial dysfunction, overactivation of stress response and inflammatory genes, and cell death signaling. Genomics and post-genomic disciplines are now offering unprecedent opportunities in disease mechanisms characterization, precision diagnostics, and treatment. These disciplines include nutrigenomics, i.e. the use of genomics techniques to study the health effects of the interaction between diet/nutrients and the genome. Its applications can be particularly useful to study lifestyle and dietary modifications, and to assess the efficacy of nutritional interventions through the criteria of precision medicine. Specific examples include interventions with fat-soluble vitamins and other lipid nutrients as omega-3 fatty acids, which have shown cytoprotective properties and molecular effects useful in modulating key steps of the hepatocellular lipotoxicity process, such as lipid biosynthesis, lipid peroxidation inflammatory gene activation and cell death signaling. Other applications of nutrigenomics concern drug discovery and preclinical studies to explore therapeutic mechanisms, efficacy and safety of new vitamin products and nutraceuticals. This review discusses current evidence on hepatocyte lipotoxicity and its nutrigenomic exploration to identify disease mechanisms, nutritional defects and intervention strategies with these lipid nutrients. Their properties, limitations, and potential for translation in the prevention and clinical management of MASLD are critically evaluated.