Mouse models of liver fibrosis mimic human liver fibrosis of different etiologies.
The liver has the amazing capacity to repair itself after injury; however, the same processes that are involved in liver regeneration after acute injury can cause serious consequences during chronic liver injury. In an effort to repair damage, activated hepatic stellate cells trigger a cascade of events that lead to deposition and accumulation of extracellular matrix components causing the progressive replacement of the liver parenchyma by scar tissue, thus resulting in fibrosis. Although fibrosis occurs as a result of many chronic liver diseases, the molecular mechanisms involved depend on the underlying etiology. Since studying liver fibrosis in human subjects is complicated by many factors, mouse models of liver fibrosis that mimic the human conditions fill this void. This review summarizes the general mouse models of liver fibrosis and mouse models that mimic specific human disease conditions that result in liver fibrosis. Additionally, recent progress that has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the fibrogenic processes of each of the human disease conditions is highlighted.
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas.
Allyson K
AK
Martínez
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Luca
L
Maroni
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Marco
M
Marzioni
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas ; Baylor Scott & White, Texas A&M Internal Medicine Residency Program, Temple, TX.
Syed T
ST
Ahmed
Baylor Scott & White, Texas A&M Internal Medicine Residency Program, Temple, TX.
Mena
M
Milad
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas.
Debolina
D
Ray
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas ; Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, Texas ; Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, Texas.
Gianfranco
G
Alpini
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas ; Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, Texas ; Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, Texas.
Shannon S
SS
Glaser
hepatic fibrosis; hepatic stellate cell; murine model; primary biliary cirrhosis; primary sclerosing cholangitis