fig7

Figure 7. (From Liu^[28]) Antagonism between HGF and TGF-β in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. (A) expression pattern of HGF and TGF-β in the diseased kidney. The duration of injury may determine whether the damaged tissues undergo recovery or fibrogenesis. Transient injury (dashed line) leads to a TGF-β/HGF ratio that favors HGF, resulting in tissue repair and regeneration, whereas chronic injury dramatically changes the TGF-β/ HGF ratio to favor TGF-β, leading to tissue fibrosis; (B) function of TGF-β and HGF in fibrotic kidneys. +: Promoting; -: suppressing; (C) therapeutic strategies for renal fibrosis. In the fibrotic kidney, the TGF-β/HGF ratio is out of balance, and TGF- 1 signaling dominates. Thus, therapeutic strategies should include a reduction of TGF-β activity and/or supplementation of HGF.