Figure 4

ROS and related mediators as pro-fibrogenic stimuli for hepatic myofibroblasts. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC/MFs) and/or other populations of hepatic MFs may be envisaged as putative "target" cells that modify their behavior and phenotypic responses when exposed to the action of ROS and other oxidative stress - related reactive intermediates (for example, 4-hydroxynonenal or HNE, a major aldehydic end-product of lipid peroxidation elicited through different mechanisms). ROS and the other reactive intermediates can be formed following damage to hepatocytes, activation of either resident kupffer cells or macrophages recruited from peripheral circulation, release from damaged mitochondria, generation following activation of certain cytochrome P450 isoforms (as in chronic ethanol-mediated injury or in condition of NAFLD and NASH), to name just the most relevant options. More details can be found in the text.