Hepatocyte apoptosis plays important roles in both the removal of external microorganisms and the occurrence and development of liver diseases. Different conditions, such as virus infection, fatty liver disease, hepatic ischemia reperfusion, and drug-induced liver injury, are accompanied by hepatocyte apoptosis. This review summarizes recent research on the mechanism of hepatocyte apoptosis involving the classical extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. We emphasized the major causes of apoptosis according to the characteristics of different liver diseases. Several concerns regarding future research and clinical application are also raised.
Keywords: drug-induced liver injury; fatty liver disease; hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury; hepatocyte apoptosis; signaling pathways; viral hepatitis.