Addressing Barriers to Ecological Literacy.

Abstract

Oral administration of nicotine significantly aggravated TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice through enhancing TGF-β secretion and TAA-induced oxidative stress. The increase in TGF-β levels might be associated with the strengthening of oxidative processes, subsequently leading to increased hepatic stellate cell activation and extracellular matrix deposition. These results suggest that patients with liver disease should be advised to abandon smoking since nicotine may exacerbate hepatic fibrosis.