Does pressure cause liver cirrhosis? The sinusoidal pressure hypothesis

Figure 9 Sinusoidal pressure hypothesis at the cellular level. A: Potential mechanic forces (stretch, compressing and shear forces) are shown that can act on cells; B: According to SPH, SP predominantly translates into mechanic stretch forces within the perisinusoidal bed. Hepatocyte cell death, inflammation or congestion all lead to increased SP that causes stretching of e.g., hepatic stellate cells (HSC), liver sinus endothelial cells (LSEC) or hepatocytes (HC); C: Moreover, intracellular pressure such as seen in ballooned hepatocytes can also cause stretch forces on the hepatocellular membrane and aligned HSC finally causing pericellular fibrosis.