TNF and Cirrhosis: Gao J et al. observed that the restore of the COX-2/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)/EP-2/p-ERK pathway using celecoxib in a thioacetamide rat model improved intestinal permeability by blocking the inflammatory response, as shown by decreased levels of LPS, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, thus reducing the progression of liver injury to cirrhosis [275].