FIGURE 7.

Egr‐1 knockdown inhibits liver injury and fibrosis induced by DDC. Male wild‐type C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks old) were fed a 0.1% DDC diet for 18 days. The mice received a single injection of adeno‐associated virus 8 (AAV8)/shEgr‐1 and AAV8/control (n = 5 in each group) at a dose of 2 × 10¹² VG/mouse 4 days after the start of the DDC diet. (A) Scheme of the treatment protocol. (B) HE, sirius red, and immunohistochemical staining for Egr‐1 (scale bars, 100, 250, and 100 μm, respectively, from the top figure) (n = 5). (C) Collagen deposition as assessed by hydroxyproline measurement (n = 5 per group). (D,E,H) mRNA expression of the indicated genes in the livers as determined by real‐time quantitative PCR (n = 5 per group). (F) Serum ALT, ALP, and T.Bil levels (n = 5 per group). (G) Hepatic TBA, CA, and CDCA levels (n = 5 per group). The results shown are representative of at least three independent experiments. Data represent the mean ± SD; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.005, and ****p < 0.0001 by unpaired Student's t test. Abbreviations: BSEP, bile salt export pump; FXR, farnesoid X receptor; NTCP, sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide.