NASH was established and compared between hepatocyte-specific p38α knockout (p38α<sup>ΔHep</sup>), macrophage-specific p38α knockout (p38α<sup>ΔMΦ</sup>) and wild-type (p38α<sup>fl/fl</sup>) mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD), high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (HFHC), or methionine-and choline-deficient diet (MCD). p38 inhibitors were administered to HFHC-fed wild-type mice for disease treatment.
Simultaneous profiling of serum proteome and hepatic phosphoproteome reveals that the activation of ASK1 S38, p38 MAPK in the liver, and serum α2M and coagulation factor V are independently associated with hepatic collagen deposition in patients with NASH.