Characterization of TGF-β-dependent signaling-pathways for CTGF/CCN2 expression in hepatocytes of normal and injured livers

Introduction: Recently, we were the first to identify that hepatocytes (PC) are the major cellular source of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) (Gressner OA et al., J Hepatol [2007], in press). In comparison to hepatic stellate cells (HSC), expression of CTGF increases spontaneously in cultured PC and is upregulated in PC of diseased rat liver. Since CTGF/CCN2 acts as an important paracrine modulator protein (38kd) of TGF-β downstream signaling, which is widely recognized as the most important profibrogenic cytokine, we currently aim at dissecting the regulatory pathways of CTGF/CCN2 in PC.