The activation of the extracellular matrix is a common finding in nonruminant liver steatosis and it is determined by the interplay between several cell types but apparently initiated by stellate cells.Overall, the data suggest that the liver in RE cows was likely more responsive to inflammatory-like conditions and also better able to handle them. Despite the apparently higher inflammatory response the liver did not have a decrease of negative APP or inhibition of metabolic or detoxification pathways. It is important to stress LY310762 in the context of inflammation. Previous studies from some of the authors have clearly established that substantial and prolonged inflammatorylike conditions negatively affect productive and reproductive performance and increase the likelihood of developing health disorders in dairy cows early postpartum. In addition, several studies have observed a positive effect of preventing/decreasing inflammation in peripartal cows. Overall, the present data support a positive role of moderate and likely diet-derived-stress-related response inflammatory-like conditions on the liver of transition dairy cows, especially post-partum. The proliferation of hepatic cells appeared to be greater Meclizine dihydrochloride as indicated by an overall higher induction of KEGG pathways and GO BP terms related to cell cycle. Reduced proliferation due to an acute energy restriction has been observed previously. Ethanolinduced steatosis in liver of rats increased hepatocyte proliferation as a mechanism to reduce the injury due to the large degree of lipid infiltration. The potentially greater degree of liver proliferation also was accompanied by an overall greater degree of cell-to-cell communication in OF vs. RE, as suggested by a larger induction of signaling and cell communication-related pathways such as ‘ECM receptor interaction’ and GO terms related to ECM disassembly. It is challenging to conclude that the liver in OF cows was damaged compared with RE cows because a histological analysis was not performed.