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Updated: Oct 5, 2026

Mapping Hepatic Stellate Cell Morphology in Mouse Models of Liver Fibrosis
Published on: February 13, 2026
[Effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha on the expression of connective tissue growth factor in hepatic stellate
1Department of Internal Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in vitro.
Methods:
HSCs were prepared from SD rats by in situ perfusion and single-step Nycodenz gradient, and were treated with TNF-alpha and TGF-beta 1. The expression of CTGF in HSC was assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results:
Both TNF-alpha and TGF-beta 1 could stimulate the expression of CTGF mRNA in HSC. The expression of CTGF was not found in HSC after treatment with TNF-alpha(10microgram/L) for 6 hours, but was observed after TNF-alpha treatment for 24 and 48 hours. TGF-beta1 could induce the mRNA expression for CTGF just after 6 hours of treatment at 1microgram/L concentration.
Conclusions:
TNF-alpha is able to induce the expression of CTGF in HSC, and this may be one of the mechanisms for TNF-alpha involving in the liver fibrosis.
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