ABSTRACT
In the past 10 years we have witnessed an exponential increase in the knowledge on
the development and progression of liver fibrosis. At present, liver fibrogenesis
is referred to as a dynamic process involving complex cellular and molecular mechanisms,
resulting from the chronic activation of the tissue repair mechanisms that follows
reiterated liver tissue injury. The identification and characterization of the cell
types and of the different mediators involved in this process has allowed a “revisitation”
of several issues related to liver cirrhosis and its immediate consequences. Among
these, evaluation of the relationships occurring between fibrogenesis and portal hypertension,
cholestasis, and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma represent some of the
hottest areas of research in the field of hepatology. Our aim is to establish a link
between the available knowledge on the biology of hepatic stellate cells and their
possible implication in the genesis and progression of portal hypertension.
KEY WORDS
hepatic stellate cell - liver fibrosis - portal hypertension - endothelin-1 - nitric
oxide
