Abstract

Gut 1994; 35: 1509-1516 1509 Leading article - Hepatology series Cell biology of liver endothelial and cells Kupffer Endothelial cells substantial amount of their triglycerides during circulation, Liver in diameters and enrich- sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) form a con- resulting decreasing comparative but fenestrated of the sinusoids.1 ment in cholesterol and cholesterol esters. The cholesterol tinuous, lining hepatic Figure shows rat liver endothelial lining as seen by scan- rich remnants have access to the space of Disse through the ning electron microscopy. The fenestrae are in fenestrae. Sieving of chylomicrons may play an grouped important In sieve plates. rat liver, the fenestrae have an average part in atherosclerosis and bile secretion.15 There also exists diameter of about 150 nm in the centrilobular areas of the a reverse pathway for the of in the form of transport lipids, liver and nm in The of 175 the periportal areas when measured very low density lipoproteins. Golgi apparatus of paren- in plastic embedded ultrathin sections in transmission chymal cells transports vesicles with endogenously formed electron microscopy. The shrinkage of the tissue due very low density lipoproteins to the cell surface. These to the is shown in results of scan- vesicles are secreted