Fig. 6
From: Relevance and consequence of chronic inflammation for obesity development
Inflammation and fibrosis in hepatic tissue. Alcohol consumption and viral infections can lead to morphologic changes in hepatocytes which proceed to undergo apoptosis. These triggers also lead to an infiltration of lymphocytes into the hepatic tissue and an inhibition of NK cells. Pro-inflammatory cytokines which are produced by adipose tissue of obese individuals can also initiate activation of HSC. Additionally, microbial changes in the gut can lead to a disturbed barrier and an increased infiltration of LPS and bacterial molecules. These bind to TLR and promote the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines via Kupffer cells and HSC activation