Lipofuscin (aging) pigment granules of the newborn human liver. 1969

S Goldfischer, and J Bernstein

We have observed pigmented cytoplasmic granules, with the characteristic staining properties of lipofuscin (ceroid, "wear-and-tear") pigment, in newborn human liver. The pigment is found at the periphery of the lobule in hepatocytes and some bile ductular cells. It is acid-fast, PAS-positive after diastase digestion, slightly argyophilic and sudanophilic, and markedly Schmorl's- and peroxidase positive in paraffin sections. Difficult to see in sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, the pigment can be detected in unstained sections. The granules also resemble lipofuscin found in adult tissues, in their ultra-structural and enzymatic properties. They are polymorphic, contain granular material of moderate and high electron opacity, and are delimited by a single membrane. Acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities are visualized in the newborn granules, identifying them as lysosomes. The granules also contain copper and, to a much lesser extent, iron. The accumulation of lipofuscin pigment in lysosomes in many tissues correlates well with aging, and this process has been interpreted as a reflection of cellular degeneration or wear-and-tear. However, the presence of lipofuscin granules as a constant component of neonatal liver suggests that they are not a measure of cellular senescence.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007501 Iron A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN. Iron-56,Iron 56
D008099 Liver A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances. Livers
D008247 Lysosomes A class of morphologically heterogeneous cytoplasmic particles in animal and plant tissues characterized by their content of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure-linked latency of these enzymes. The intracellular functions of lysosomes depend on their lytic potential. The single unit membrane of the lysosome acts as a barrier between the enzymes enclosed in the lysosome and the external substrate. The activity of the enzymes contained in lysosomes is limited or nil unless the vesicle in which they are enclosed is ruptured or undergoes MEMBRANE FUSION. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed). Autolysosome,Autolysosomes,Lysosome
D008853 Microscopy The use of instrumentation and techniques for visualizing material and details that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. It is usually done by enlarging images, transmitted by light or electron beams, with optical or magnetic lenses that magnify the entire image field. With scanning microscopy, images are generated by collecting output from the specimen in a point-by-point fashion, on a magnified scale, as it is scanned by a narrow beam of light or electrons, a laser, a conductive probe, or a topographical probe. Compound Microscopy,Hand-Held Microscopy,Light Microscopy,Optical Microscopy,Simple Microscopy,Hand Held Microscopy,Microscopy, Compound,Microscopy, Hand-Held,Microscopy, Light,Microscopy, Optical,Microscopy, Simple
D008854 Microscopy, Electron Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen. Electron Microscopy
D010860 Pigments, Biological Any normal or abnormal coloring matter in PLANTS; ANIMALS or micro-organisms. Biological Pigments
D003300 Copper A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55. Copper-63,Copper 63
D003594 Cytoplasmic Granules Condensed areas of cellular material that may be bounded by a membrane. Cytoplasmic Granule,Granule, Cytoplasmic,Granules, Cytoplasmic
D005966 Glucuronidase Endo-beta-D-Glucuronidase,Endoglucuronidase,Exo-beta-D-Glucuronidase,beta-Glucuronidase,Endo beta D Glucuronidase,Exo beta D Glucuronidase,beta Glucuronidase

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