Fatty change is characterized by the accumulation of intracellular parenchymal triglycerides and is observed most frequently in the liver, heart, and kidney. For example, in the liver, fatty change may be secondary to alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, obesity, or poisoning.
Imbalance among the uptake, utilization, and secretion of fat is the cause of fatty change, and this can result from any of the following mechanisms:
Increased transport of triglycerides or fatty acids to affected cells
Decreased mobilization of fat from cells, most often mediated by decreased production of apoproteins required for fat transport. Fatty change is thus linked to the disaggregation of ribosomes and consequent decreased protein synthesis caused by failure of ATP production in CCl4-injured cells.