– safironil is a novel antifibrotic compound and a competitive inhibitor of collagen synthesis. safironil inhibited in vitro experiments on fibroblast activation monitored by collagen I mRNA or smooth muscle alpha-actin levels, and fibrogenesis as judged by type I and type III collagen and laminin production. safironil had no effect on the size of liver granulomas without altering total hydroxyproline, but altered the pattern of fibrosis by increasing type III and decreasing type I collagen deposition.