Inhibition of hepatic damage and liver fibrosis by brain natriuretic peptide.

Anti-fibrotic and organ protective effects of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been reported. In this study, effects of BNP on liver fibrosis were examined in the carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis model using BNP-transgenic (Tg) and wild-type (WT) mice. Twice-a-week intraperitoneal injections of CCl(4) for 8 weeks resulted in massive liver fibrosis, augmented transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) and type I procollagen alpha(1) chain (Col1a1) mRNA expression, and the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in WT mice, all of which were significantly suppressed in Tg mice. These observations indicate that BNP inhibits liver fibrosis by attenuating the activation of HSCs.