HMGB1 and Hepatic fibrosis: Because (a) macrophages have a key role in promoting HSC activation, HSC survival, and liver fibrosis,26, 33 (b) LPS promotes liver fibrosis34 and (c) macrophages can release HMGB1 following LPS stimulation, we used LPS‐stimulated conditioned media from HMGB1Flox and HMGB1ΔMac macrophages to determine the role of macrophage‐derived HMGB1 in HSC activation.