Pharmacologic ER stress induces non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in an animal model

► Pharmacologic ER stress induced by tunicamycin (TM) induces a quick NASH state in vivo. ► TM leads to dramatic increase in cleavage of sterol regulatory element-binding protein in the liver. ► TM up-regulates lipogenic genes, but down-regulates the genes in lipolysis and FA oxidation. ► TM activates NF-κB and expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver.