KDR and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: Thus a decreased mRNA and protein levels of VEGFR-2, ICAM-1 and E-selectin in the sinusoids of Leptin KO mice and mice that have a defective leptin downstream signaling, as shown by immunofluorescence microscopy reflect in part the role of hepatic leptin and probably miR21 in sinusoidal inflammation and dysfunction in our models of NASH because of leptin-induced miR21 expression (Fig. 4).