Figure 1.

Molecular mechanisms involved in the vicious circle linking fatty liver to diabetes and diabetes to progressive liver injury. Left: The first part of the journey, leading from initial insulin resistance to fatty liver and eventually to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in those predisposed individuals in whom pancreatic lipotoxicity occurs; Right: The mechanism that (triggered by long-lasting/decompensated T2DM) may be conducive to progressive liver disease including primary liver cancer in predisposed individuals. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; IL: Interleukin; NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; PTEN: Phosphatase and tensin homolog. Reproduced from Loria et al[121].