A well-established and widely accepted experimental mouse model to study liver fibrosis and cirrhosis is via Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injection. In many aspects, CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis in murine models mirrors the pattern of toxic damage seen with human disease, such as presence of stellate cell activation, macrophage infiltration, and alterations in matrix components including collagen-1, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors. CCl4 injection elicits a reproducible and predictable fibrotic and cirrhotic response in the liver, making it a valuable preclinical resource for pharmacological and pathophysiological studies.
