Elevated concentrations of 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 in chronic liver disease propose therapeutic trials with PPARgamma inducing drugs

Aims: Current knowledge attributes connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) a crucial role in hepatic fibrogenesis and–very likely–carcinogenesis. Hepatocytes are the major cellular source of CTGF in the liver in which CTGF is sensitively upregulated by TGF-β. In another abstract, we demonstrate that the methylxanthine derivate caffeine leads to an upregulation of PPARγ expression in hepatocytes, thus sensitizing these cells to the well known inhibitory effect of 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15-d-PGJ2) on CTGF expression. However, upregulation of the receptor alone is not sufficient per se, its physiolog…