A new study published in Metabolic Brain Disease used molecular biology and morphology methods to evaluate changes in mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy of the substantia nigra (SN) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The findings showed that HE increased mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy in the SN, which was not seen in the PFC. In addition, HE stimulated dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) transformation from the cytosolic to the mitochondria within SN cells, which increased mitochondrial fission and the number of mitochondria. HE also increased the levels of autophagy proteins PINK1/PARKIN and P62/LC3-B in the SN, which selectively removes damaged mitochondria and cell, respectively. From the results, it was concluded that changes in the mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy related to HE can help repair damaged mitochondria and provide a further understanding of the mechanisms of hepatic encephalopathy.