The interaction between hepatic IKK activation and carbohydrates in the development of steatosis is substantiated by the observation that genetic ablation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a TLR that activates the IKK:NF-κB axis, protects mice from fructose-induced liver steatosis by an undefined mechanism [51,52]. Here, TLR4 is linked to fatty liver disease.