Figure 6.

Inhibition of the EGFR/MEK signaling pathway prevents bile-salt-induced proliferation, cell accumulation, and collagen deposition by HSC. HSC were isolated from wildtype mice and stimulated with 250 µM CDCA (grey bars) or DMSO as control (white bars). Cells were co-incubated with DMSO as control or 10 µM AG1478, 10 µM UO126, and 50 µM PD98059, respectively. DNA incorporation was determined after 7 days of culture (A). Following a total culture period of 14 days, DNA fluorescence as a readout of total cell number was quantified (B). To test functional consequence of cell accumulation, excess collagen deposition after 14 days of culture was determined (C). Results are shown as mean ± standard deviation (n = 6–9, * p < 0.05 CDCA vs. DMSO, ANOVA, post-hoc LSD).