Cellular fibronectin stimulates hepatocytes to produce factors that promote alcohol-induced liver injury

Figure 7 Schematic representation of the proposed model of ethanol-induced liver injury linking altered asialoglycoprotein receptor clearance of cellular fibronectin with hepatocyte activation by the accumulating protein. Subsequently, there is an increase in caspase-3 activity and an elevated secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), as well as secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and its corresponding inhibitor tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2). RME: receptor-mediated endocytosis; ASGP-R: asialoglycoprotein receptor.