Hepatic tissues of the NASH control group demonstrated marked increase in both TGF-β1and SOX9 mRNA expression by 12.7 and 3.8 folds, respectively, compared to the normal control group (P < 0.001), which were repressed noticeably after treatment with EMPA (P < 0.001) (Fig. 2). This evidence concerns the gene SOX9 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.