Liver macrophages make up the largest proportion of tissue macrophages in the host and consist of two dissimilar groups: Kupffer cells (KCs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMø). As the liver is injured, KCs sense the injury and initiate inflammatory cascades mediated by the release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Subsequently, inflammatory monocytes accumulate in the liver via chemokine-chemokine receptor interactions, resulting in massive inflammatory MoMø infiltration. When live r injury ceases, restorative macrophages, derived from recruited inflammatory monocytes (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus Chi monocytes), promote the resolution of hepatic damage and fibrosis. Consequently, a large number of studies have assessed the mechanisms by which liver macrophages exert their opposing functions at different time-points during liver injury. The present review primarily focuses on the diverse functions of macrophages in experimental liver injury, fibrosis and repair in mice and illustrates how macrophages may be targeted to treat liver disease.
Keywords: immune function; inflammation; liver injury; macrophage; mouse.