In accord, our work in experimental steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis reveals an up-regulation of the TGFβ signaling pathway and proinflammatory cytokine expression (i.e. IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα) in mice lacking CNP; moreover, many of these pathogenic processes can be reversed by CNP treatment. Here, IL1B is linked to Hepatic fibrosis.