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.