In another study on a male NASH Wistar rat model fed with a l-amino acid-defined diet, nicotine (12 mg/kg, osmotic mini-pumps) significantly inhibited the induced hepatic inflammation and the increased expression of inflammation-related genes by regulating the expression of TNF-α, CD68, IL-1β, IL-6, Bax, and Cas3 mRNA in the liver and hepatic CD68-positive cells. This evidence concerns the gene CD68 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.