Hepatic stellate cells regulate liver fatty acid utilization via plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein.

The liver is essential for normal fatty acid utilization during fasting. Circulating fatty acids are taken up by hepatocytes and esterified as triacylglycerols for either oxidative metabolization and ketogenesis or export. Whereas the regulation of fatty acid oxidation in hepatocytes is well understood, the uptake and retention of non-esterified fatty acids by hepatocytes is not.