Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033', USA. hazra@scf.usc.edu
Activation of Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in fibrogenesis involves distinct morphological and biochemical changes. This activation requires the coordinated changes in activity of several transcription factors. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is one such factor whose activity is decreased in activated HSC. PPAR gamma ligands suppress several markers of HSC activation such as expression of collagen and alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), cell proliferation and migration. Expression of PPAR gamma, per se, also inhibits HSC activation. These findings support the role of PPAR gamma in reversion of activated HSC toward their quiescent state.