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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
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 .
A hepatocyte is a cell of the main parenchymal tissue of the liver. Hepatocytes make up 80% of the liver's mass. These cells are involved in: Protein synthesis; Protein storage; Transformation of carbohydrates; Synthesis of cholesterol, bile salts and phospholipids; Detoxification, modification, and excretion of exogenous and endogenous substances
The main liver cells are called hepatocytes; however, there are other cells that can be observed in a liver sample such as Kupffer cells (macrophages). [2] The liver is the biggest gland of the body. It has a wide variety of functions that range from the destruction of old blood cells to the control of the whole metabolism of macromolecules . [ 3 ]
The liver plays a vital role in many metabolic processes in the body including protein synthesis, detoxification, nutrient storage (such as glycogen), platelet production and clearance of bilirubin. With progressive liver damage; hepatocyte death and replacement of functional liver tissue with fibrosis in cirrhosis, these processes are disrupted.
The liver X receptors, LXRα (this protein) and LXRβ, form a subfamily of the nuclear receptor superfamily and are key regulators of macrophage function, controlling transcriptional programs involved in lipid homeostasis and inflammation.
It is because of this that any change to Kupffer cell functions can be connected to various liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, intrahepatic cholestasis, steatohepatitis, activation or rejection of the liver during liver transplantation and liver fibrosis. [2] [3] They form part of the mononuclear phagocyte system.
Macrovesicular steatosis is the most common form and is typically associated with alcohol, diabetes, obesity, and corticosteroids. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy and Reye's syndrome are examples of severe liver disease caused by microvesicular fatty change. [19] The diagnosis of steatosis is made when fat in the liver exceeds 5–10% by weight.