Conclusion
The levels of most inflammation-associated cytokines and signaling
pathway components in the livers of normal young female rats are higher
than those in the livers of male rats, and liver fibrosis induced by BDL
in female rats or TAA in male rats is analogous; however, due to the
different degrees of fibrosis, there are some variations in the levels
of inflammation-associated cytokines and signaling pathway components.
As the severity of hepatic fibrosis increases, the scar form and
connective tissue hyperplasia become more obvious, and the levels of
inflammation-associated cytokines and signaling pathways decrease, with
some levels falling even lower than those in normal controls. These data
suggest that the therapeutic strategies for liver fibrosis must change
along with the state of liver fibrosis: anti-inflammatory drugs should
be used at the early stage to prevent liver fibrosis progress, and
improved liver microcirculation drugs should be used at the end stage of
liver fibrosis (liver cirrhosis); this strategy may facilitate the
recruitment of more inflammatory cells or cytokines into liver tissue
activating these enzymes such as matris metalloproteinases to eliminate
the scar structure and reverse liver cirrhosis.