title: Liver fibrosis and protection mechanisms action of medicinal plants targeting apoptosis of hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells.
abstract: Following chronic liver injury, hepatocytes undergo apoptosis leading to activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Consequently, activated HSC proliferate and produce excessive extracellular matrix, responsible for the scar formation. The pandemic trend of obesity, combined with the high incidence of alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infections, highlights the urgent need to find accessible antifibrotic therapies. Treatment strategies should take into account the versatility of its pathogenesis and act on all the cell lines involved to reduce liver fibrosis. Medicinal plants are achieving popularity as antifibrotic agents, supported by their safety, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. This review will describe the role of hepatocytes and HSC in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and detail the mechanisms of modulation of apoptosis of both cell lines by twelve known hepatoprotective plants in order to reduce liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3652-184X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: González-Garza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Enfermedades Hepáticas-Digestivas y Nutrición, Hospital San José, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000, 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Montalvo
authors.affiliation: Catedra de Terapia Celular, Escuela de Medicina, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Avenida Morones Prieto 3000 Pte., 64710 Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
authors.forename: Delia Elva
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cruz-Vega