Fig. 2

Hepcidin (in)actions in normal liver and liver fibrosis. Fe, iron; FPN, ferroportin. In normal liver, hepcidin produced by heptocytes controls iron levels in plasma by preventing excessive iron absorption from enterocytes. In this way hepcidin protects liver form iron-load. But hepcidin can protect liver by inactivating hepatic stellate cells as well. In liver fibrosis low hepcidin causes high iron-load and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and lack of hepcidin-induced supression of hepatic stellate cells induces their activation, which results in deposition of scar tissue and liver fibrosis