Biomaterial Database

Fine structure of perisinusoidal cells in developing human and mouse liver. 1983

I Bartók, and J Tóth, and E Remenár, and S Virágh

The fine structure of hepatic perisinusoidal cells was studied in human fetuses and in mouse embryos and fetuses. The perisinusoidal cells differed in structure from the sinusoidal lining cells, and occasionally mitosis of perisinusoidal cells was observed suggesting that these cells are independent and self-proliferating at the stage of development studied. Unlike perisinusoidal cells of the normal mature liver, those of the developing liver contained only sparse and small lipid droplets. They possessed a well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, and many microtubules. Collagen fibrils appeared in close proximity to perisinusoidal cells. In perisinusoidal cells of the mouse liver development of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, accumulation of microtubules and increase of collagen fibrils progressed with the time of gestation. The thick cytoplasmic processes of the perisinusoidal cells frequently encircled the sinusoids, and 5-6 nm thick filaments appeared at the cell periphery. Perisinusoidal cells and hepatocytes were frequently linked by junctional elements. These findings strongly suggest that the perisinusoidal cells are responsible for the production of type III collagen. Also they may indicate that these cells reinforce the sinusoides, influence the sinusoidal blood flow by contractile activity and participate in the maintenance of the parenchymal organisation in the developing liver.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007728	Kupffer Cells	Specialized phagocytic cells of the MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTE SYSTEM found on the luminal surface of the hepatic sinusoids. They filter bacteria and small foreign proteins out of the blood and dispose of worn out red blood cells.	Kupffer Cell,Cell, Kupffer,Cells, Kupffer
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
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
D008870	Microtubules	Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein TUBULIN and are influenced by TUBULIN MODULATORS.	Microtubule
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D003593	Cytoplasm	The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D004721	Endoplasmic Reticulum	A system of cisternae in the CYTOPLASM of many cells. In places the endoplasmic reticulum is continuous with the plasma membrane (CELL MEMBRANE) or outer membrane of the nuclear envelope. If the outer surfaces of the endoplasmic reticulum membranes are coated with ribosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum is said to be rough-surfaced (ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, ROUGH); otherwise it is said to be smooth-surfaced (ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM, SMOOTH). (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Ergastoplasm,Reticulum, Endoplasmic
D005260	Female		Females
D005333	Fetus	The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal
D006056	Golgi Apparatus	A stack of flattened vesicles that functions in posttranslational processing and sorting of proteins, receiving them from the rough ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM and directing them to secretory vesicles, LYSOSOMES, or the CELL MEMBRANE. The movement of proteins takes place by transfer vesicles that bud off from the rough endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus and fuse with the Golgi, lysosomes or cell membrane. (From Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Golgi Complex,Apparatus, Golgi,Complex, Golgi