Role of Lactoferrin in Treatment of Bile Duct Ligation-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats: Impact on Inflammation and TGF-β1/Smad2/α SMA Signaling Pathway.

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is a major health issue that might lead to hepatic cirrhosis and cancer. One of its main causes is cholestasis, which has been stimulated by bile duct ligation (BDL) to block the bile flow from the liver. As for the treatment, lactoferrin (LF), the iron-binding glycoprotein, has been evaluated in various studies for the treatment of infections, inflammation, and cancer.