CD14 and Hepatic fibrosis: In a study examining the outcomes following the administration of useful bacteria as probiotics in a NASH animal model, Velayudham et al. confirmed the attenuation of hepatic fibrosis and the downregulation of the hepatic mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 and CD14 in MCD mice that were fed VSL#3, is a probiotic formula including eight useful bacterial species, for 10 weeks.