Smooth Muscle α-actin Deficiency Leads to Decreased Liver Fibrosis via Impaired Cytoskeletal Signaling in Hepatic Stellate Cells

In the liver, smooth muscle α-actin (SM α-actin) is up-regulated in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) as they transition to myofibroblasts during liver injury and the wound healing response. Whether SM α-actin has specific functional effects on cellular effectors of fibrosis such as HSC is controversial. Here, we focused on the relationship between SM α-actin and type 1 collagen expression (COL1A1), a major extracellular matrix protein important in liver fibrosis and demonstrate that knockout of SM α-actin leads to reduced liver fibrosis and COL1 expression.
Source: American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Regular article Source Type: research