The antihypertensive agent hydralazine reduced extracellular matrix synthesis and liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis exacerbated by hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Hypertension is an important risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. We have previously demonstrated that hypertensive rats fed a high fat and cholesterol (HFC) diet incurred a more severe hepatic inflammatory response and fibrosis. Here we investigated the role of hypertension in NASH by comparing HFC-induced hepatic fibrogenesis between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and their normotensive Wistar Kyoto counterpart. Compared to the counterpart, the HFC diet led to stronger aggregation of CD68-positive macrophages in SHRs. HFC feeding also resulted in significantly higher upregulation of the fibrosis-related gene alpha-smooth muscle actin in SHR. The HFC diet induced higher overexpression of serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1) and greater suppression of matr

SUBMITTER: Yuan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7735612 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature