MAP2K7 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: To study the signaling pathway involved in the pathophysiological processes of NAFLD induced by the elevation of FFA and the effects of SAMC intervention, we measured the phosphorylation status and total expression of MAPK kinases signaling pathways including p38 MAPK, JNK and MEK/ERK, which play important roles in insulin and inflammatory responses [18, 19].