Dpt-CreER–labeled periportal-venous fibroblasts contributed to periportal fibrosis. All Dpt^creER;R26^tdTomato mice used in A–L were treated with tamoxifen for three consecutive days at 6 wk of age (n = 3–5 mice per condition from three independent experiments). (A) Confocal images showing Tomato expression in pericentral- and periportal-venous cells but rare in periductal cells of 8-wk-old Dpt^creER;R26^tdTomato livers. Blood vessels and bile ducts were labeled by anti-CD31 and anti-Epcam antibodies, respectively. Scale bar = 200 µm. (B–G) Confocal images showing Tomato expression in Col1⁺ (B), CD34⁺ (C), and Thy-1⁺ fibroblasts (D), but not in Myh11⁺ VSMCs (E), Reln⁺ HSCs (F), or Gpm6a⁺ mesothelial cells (G) of Dpt^creER;R26^tdTomato livers. Scale bar = 50 µm. (H–M) Confocal images of liver sections from CCl₄-treated (H), DDC-treated (J), and ICC-bearing (L) Dpt^creER;R26^tdTomato mice, stained with DAPI and anti-Col1 antibody. Scale bar = 200 µm. Data represent the mean ± SD (I, K, and M).