BDL significantly increases TGFβ1 expression in female rats
PDGF-BB possesses mitogenic(24), differentiation-promoting (25), chemotactic(26) and angiogenic(27) properties, and is produced by osteoblasts, platelets and monocytes/macrophages, PDGF-BB and TGF-β1both activate the HSCs and promote liver fibrosis(28). TGF-β1is ubiquitously present in both normal cells and transformed cells and almost all cells have receptors for it(22). IFN-γ plays critical roles in promoting pathologic inflammatory processes(29). In Table 5, the levels of PDGF-BB, IFN-γ and TGF-β 1 in the liver of female and male rats showed no significant difference; BDL or TAA slightly decreased PDGF-BB and increased in TGF-β 1 but had no obvious effect on IFN-γ. The increase in TGF-β 1 in livers of female rats with BDL was significantly greater than that with TAA treatment (Figure 6).