Rho proteins and hepatic stellate cells

Involvement of Rho/Rho kinase pathway in regulation of apoptosis in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a central role in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Recent evidence has revealed that HSCs also play a role in its resolution, where HSC apoptosis was determined. Moreover, induction of HSC apoptosis caused a reduction of experimental hepatic fibrosis in rats. Thus knowing the mechanism of HSC apoptosis might be important to clarify the pathophysiology and ...

Hepatic Stellate Cells Preferentially Induce

PPAR Gamma and Hepatic Stellate Cells

Activation of Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in fibrogenesis involves distinct morphological and biochemical changes. This activation requires the coordinated changes in activity of several transcription factors. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is one such factor whose activity is decreased in activated HSC. PPAR gamma ligands suppress several markers of HSC activati...

Hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis.

Substantial evidence now exists to recognize hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) as the main matrix-producing cells in the process of liver fibrosis. Liver injury of any etiology will ultimately lead to activation of HSCs, which undergo transdifferentiation to fibrogenic myofibroblast-like cells. Quantitative analysis of HSC activation by immunohistochemistry has been shown to be useful in predicting...

[Hepatic stellate cells and oxidative stress].

Hepatic fibrosis is a wound-healing response that takes place during chronic liver injury and is characterized by excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, mainly collagen type I. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are responsible for the excessive production of scar tissue during liver fibrosis. Activation of HSC, the main step in the development of hepatic fibros...