Mechanical Stress-induced Connective Tissue Growth Factor Plays a Critical Role in Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's-like Colitis

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

We found that CTGF expression increased significantly not only in the inflammation site but in the distended segment proximal to inflammation in a rodent model of CD-like colitis. Release of mechanical distention prevented CTGF expression in CD rats, whereas direct stretch induced CTGF expression. Treatment with anti-CTGF antibody reduced fibrosis and collagen contents in CD rats. Thus, mechanical stress, via upregulating profibrotic mediators, i.e., CTGF, may play a critical role in fibrosis in CD.