Peptides for Liver Health, NAFLD & Hepatoprotection

How peptide Targets Peptides for Liver Health

Liver-protective peptides work through several mechanisms:

**GLP-1 receptor agonism (Semaglutide):** The liver expresses GLP-1 receptors. GLP-1 agonists reduce hepatic steatosis (fat accumulation) through both weight-loss-mediated and direct hepatic mechanisms. The OASIS-1 trial showed semaglutide resolved NASH in 59% of participants vs. 17% placebo — one of the largest effect sizes in NASH treatment history.

**Cytoprotection (BPC-157):** BPC-157 has extensive preclinical data showing hepatoprotective effects — reducing liver damage from alcohol, NSAIDs, and toxic insults in rodent models. Proposed mechanisms include NO pathway modulation, hepatic blood flow improvement, and reduced oxidative stress.

**Mitochondrial support (SS-31, MOTS-c):** Hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction drives NAFLD progression from steatosis to NASH. Fat-laden hepatocytes have impaired mitochondrial β-oxidation and increased ROS production. SS-31 and MOTS-c target this dysfunction — improving fat oxidation capacity and reducing oxidative damage.

**GH-axis restoration (Tesamorelin):** Tesamorelin has Phase 2 data specifically in NAFLD, showing reduced hepatic fat fraction on MRI. GH's hepatic effects include increased fatty acid oxidation and reduced de novo lipogenesis — directly addressing the metabolic pathology of fatty liver.