Genetic deletion of CXCR3 is associated with increased neoangiogenesis during experimental liver fibrogenesis

Aims: Liver fibrogenesis is accompanied by angiogenesis, but the pro- and anti-angiogenic factors in this setting are not well characterized. While the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in the induction of physiological and pathological angiogenesis in various tissues, the ELR- chemokines which are ligands for the receptor CXCR3 are known to inhibit angiogenesis. Recently, we could show that CXCR3–/– mice display progressive liver fibrosis compared to wild-type littermates after chronic CCl4 and TAA treatment. We here investigate the role of neovascularisation in CCl4-treated CXCR…