Recent studies suggest that prostaglandin E may have the ability to suppress cytokine responsiveness. We examined the effects of prostaglandin E administration on several parameters of acute and chronic liver injury induced by bile duct ligation. Enisoprost, a prostaglandin E1 analog, was found to suppress early hepatic and Ito cell type I collagen gene expression without diminishing the induction of the fibrogenic cytokine transforming growth factor-beta. Overall liver inflammation and cell proliferation were not altered, suggesting that prostaglandin E acts distal to the initial injurious event(s). During later phases, drug administration reduced total collagen accumulation and type I collagen periductular infiltration associated with early nodule formation.

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