INHIBITION OF GUT BACTERIAL BILE SALT HYDROLASES (BSHS) ATTENUATES EARLY NON-ALCOHOLIC STEATOHEPATITIS (NASH) AND NASH WITH FIBROSIS
<div><p><b>Background:</p> </b><p>Increased intestinal permeability is one of the multiple hits in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) is a gut bacterial enzyme that hydrolyzes conjugated bile acids (BAs) into unconjugated BAs. Our previous study reported that inhibition of BSH with a gut-restricted small molecule inhibitor, AAA-10, increased conjugated BAs and prevented the development of intestinal permeability and liver steatosis in an early onset, diet-induced rat steatosis model.