Artificial Light at Night, Sleep Disruption, and Liver Health: Implications for MASLD Pathogenesis

Damaris Guadalupe Nieva-Ramírez, Misael Uribe and Natalia Nuño-Lámbarri ()
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Damaris Guadalupe Nieva-Ramírez: Traslational Research Unit, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Toriello Guerra Tlalpan, Mexico City 14050, Mexico
Misael Uribe: Obesity and Digestive Diseases Unit, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Toriello Guerra Tlalpan, Mexico City 14050, Mexico
Natalia Nuño-Lámbarri: Traslational Research Unit, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Toriello Guerra Tlalpan, Mexico City 14050, Mexico

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: This narrative review explores the role of artificial light at night (ALAN) as an emerging environmental determinant of liver and metabolic health, with particular emphasis on its contribution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The objective was to synthesize and critically evaluate experimental and epidemiological evidence linking nocturnal light exposure, circadian disruption, and hepatic metabolic alterations. Literature was retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases covering the period 1980–2025 using predefined search terms related to ALAN, circadian rhythm disturbance, melatonin suppression, sleep disruption, and MASLD. Relevant experimental studies in animal models and observational studies in humans were included. Evidence indicates that blue-enriched light (~460–480 nm) suppresses melatonin, desynchronizes central and hepatic circadian clocks, and disrupts glucose–lipid metabolism, leading to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and hepatic steatosis. Chronic ALAN exposure also alters gut microbiota composition and increases intestinal permeability, suggesting a light–gut–liver axis in MASLD pathogenesis. Human epidemiological studies associate higher environmental ALAN exposure with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and poor sleep quality—recognized risk factors for MASLD. Recognizing ALAN as a modifiable environmental exposure highlights the need for public health strategies and clinical guidelines to mitigate its metabolic impact through improved lighting design and sleep hygiene.

Keywords: artificial light at night; circadian disruption; melatonin suppression; MASLD; light pollution; hepatic lipid metabolism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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