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A liver sinusoid is a type of capillary known as a sinusoidal capillary, discontinuous capillary or sinusoid, that is similar to a fenestrated capillary, having discontinuous endothelium that serves as a location for mixing of the oxygen-rich blood from the hepatic artery and the nutrient-rich blood from the portal vein. [1]
The Kupffer cells of liver are phagocytic cells that help in the phagocytosis of dead blood cells and bacteria from the blood. [ 57 ] The liver is responsible for immunological effects – the mononuclear phagocyte system of the liver contains many immunologically active cells, acting as a 'sieve' for antigens carried to it via the portal system .
Although the LSECs make up only about 3% of the total liver cell volume, their surface in a normal adult human liver is about 210 m 2, or nearly the size of a tennis court. [1] The LSEC structure differs from other endothelia. The cells contain many open pores, or fenestrae, with diameters from 100 to 150 nm.
All plasma proteins except Gamma-globulins are synthesised in the liver. [1] Human serum albumin, osmolyte and carrier protein; α-fetoprotein, the fetal counterpart of serum albumin; Soluble plasma fibronectin, forming a blood clot that stops bleeding; C-reactive protein, opsonin on microbes, [2] acute phase protein; Various other globulins
The perisinusoidal space also contains hepatic stellate cells (also known as Ito cells or lipocytes), which store vitamin A in characteristic lipid droplets. [ 2 ] This space may be obliterated in liver disease , leading to decreased uptake by hepatocytes of nutrients and wastes such as bilirubin .
For these purposes, hepatocytes are usually isolated from animal or human [8] whole liver or liver tissue by collagenase digestion, which is a two-step process. In the first step, the liver is placed in an isotonic solution, in which calcium is removed to disrupt cell-cell tight junctions by the use of a calcium chelating agent .
In histology (microscopic anatomy), the lobules of liver, or hepatic lobules, are small divisions of the liver defined at the microscopic scale. The hepatic lobule is a building block of the liver tissue , consisting of portal triads, hepatocytes arranged in linear cords between a capillary network, and a central vein .
Liver regeneration is the process by which the liver is able to replace damaged or lost liver tissue. The liver is the only visceral organ with the capacity to regenerate. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The liver can regenerate after partial hepatectomy or injury due to hepatotoxic agents such as certain medications, toxins, or chemicals. [ 3 ]