Antifibrotic Effect of Marine Ovothiol in an In Vivo Model of Liver Fibrosis

Figure 6

Proposed mechanism of action for ovothiol. During the development of liver fibrosis, membrane-bound GGT activity increases, leading to ROS overproduction. ROS can activate TGF-β, which in turn upregulates α-SMA and TIMP1, favoring ECM deposition. Ovothiol acts as a GGT inhibitor and in turn reduces TGF-β activation, thus inducing a cascade of events leading to downregulation of profibrogenic molecules and induction of fibrolytic enzymes.