However, it needs to be noted that others have reported that fa/fa Zucker rats are resistant to fibrosis induced chemically or with a Western diet (based on mRNA levels of α-SMA and histological assessment) as leptin receptor-mediated signaling appears to play a role in development of hepatic fibrosis and remodeling of the extracellular matrix [27,28]. This evidence concerns the gene ACTA1 and Hepatic fibrosis.