The aim of the present study was to explore the dynamic relationship between notch and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (naFld), both in vitro and in vivo. The lX2, Huh7 and MiHa hepatic cell lines were used to establish a cell steatosis model induced by palmitic acid (Pa) at different concentrations (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mM). cell proliferation and migration were assessed using a 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine kit and a wound healing assay. The dosage of 0.25 mM Pa for 36-48 h treatment was chosen for subsequent experiments. Steatotic cells were identified by Oil Red O staining. Feeding mice a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet is known induce a model of naFld, compared with a methionine-choline-sufficient (MCS) diet. Therefore, Notch family mrna expression was evaluated in the liver of Mcd-fed mice at varying time points (days 5, 10, 21 and 70) using reverse transcription-quantitative Pcr. notch expression levels were also assessed in cell lines at 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after Pa treatment. notch signaling molecules changed in the Pa or Mcd model over time. In vitro, the mrna levels of notch1,-2 and-4 increased in all cell lines after 12-h Pa treatment. at 24 h, these genes were upregulated only in lX2 cells, while showing a 'down-up' pattern in MiHa cells (i.e. these genes were downregulated at 24 h but upregulated at 36 h). However, expression of Notch1,-2,-3 and-4 mRNA rose significantly in the early stage (day 10) of naFld. at week 3, the levels of notch1 and-2 were higher in the Mcd group than in the McS group, while the reverse was observed for notch3 and-4. expression of these four genes increased again in the late stage (day 70) of naFld. Therefore, these results indicated that notch family members notch1-4 were involved in the development of naFld and played an important role in steatosis in this model.