Intrahepatic crystals from elevated dietary cholesterol are sufficient to stiffen the liver
David Li, Abigail E. Loneker, Yasmine Safraou, Jamie Ford, Elaine M. Mihelc, Sadatsugu Sakane, Tatiana Kisseleva, Kandice R. Levental, Ilya Levental, Ingolf Sack, Paul A. Janmey, Rebecca G. Wells
This study shows that elevated dietary cholesterol in rats leads to liver lipid crystals, which increase tissue stiffness and fibrosis progression in a model of MASLD.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · Jan 7, 2026Peer-reviewedPhysiology