Blockade of YAP alleviates hepatic fibrosis through accelerating apoptosis and reversion of activated hepatic stellate cells.

•YAP protein expression up-regulation in hepatic fibrosis and down-regulation after recovery in mice tissue or HSC-T6 cells, actively accompanied with Col1a1 and α-SMA changes.•YAP silencing inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of activated HSC-T6 cells.•YAP over-expression reduced the effect of MDI on activated HSC-T6 cells.•YAP positively regulated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in HSC-T6 cells.