Structure and function of hepatic sinusoids as a cell complex

肝窦内存在四种不同类型的细胞，即内皮细胞、枯否细胞、肝窦周围星状细胞和肝脏相关NK细胞(PIT细胞)。这些细胞通过各种化学介质和细胞因子在细胞间以及与实质细胞之间进行通讯。为了更好地了解它们的功能，有必要了解正弦的三维结构和细胞间的关系。为此，高尔基法可用于肝窦细胞的形态研究。星状细胞有两种胞质突起，即窦周突起和窦间突起。窦周突具有明显的棘状微突起，而窦间突起则不明显。星状细胞的胞质突起在出生后早期发育迅速。在培养体系中，我们通过摄影观察了这些细胞胞质突起的发育规律。我们用前列腺素E_2和-Kupffer细胞条件培养液证明了这些细胞的收缩。这种现象是可逆的。这一发现表明星状细胞的功能受Kupffer细胞的调节。我们通过摄片技术分析了体内包括PIT细胞在内的淋巴细胞与内皮细胞的黏附。静脉注射OK-432后，贴壁淋巴细胞数量增加，但滞留时间较短。Kupffer细胞在PIT细胞增强细胞毒作用中起重要作用。Kupffer细胞和Pit细胞在肝脏再生过程中数量增加，但这种增加的功能意义尚不清楚。

There exist four different kinds of cells in the hepatic sinusoid, i. e. endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, perisinusoidal stellate cells, and the liverassociated Nk cells(pit cells). These cells communicated Intercellularly and also with parenchymal cells by various chemical mediators and cytokines. For the better understanding of their functions, it is necesssary to know the three dimensional structures and Intercellular relationship of the sinusoid. For this purpose the Golgi method is useful for the morphological study of liver sinusoidal cells. The stellate cells display two patterns of cytoplasmic processes, perisinusoidal and Intersinusoidal. The perisinusoidal processes are characteristically studded with thornlike microprojections, whereas the intersinusoidal ones are not. Cytoplasmic processes of the stellate cells developed rapidly during early postnatal stages. In culture system we observed the developing pattern of the cytoplasmic processes of these cells by cinematography. We proved the contraction of these cells by the administration of prostaglandin E2 and the-Kupffer cell-conditioned medium. This phenomenon Is reversible. This- finding Indicates that the function of the stellate cells Is modulated by the Kupffer cells.We analysed the adhesion of lymphocytes Including pit cells to the endothelial cells In vivo by cinematography. After the i. v. injection of OK-432, adhering lymphocytes Increase In number, but the retention time Is rather short. Kupffer cells play an Important role in an augmentation of cytotoxic activity by pit cells. Kupffer cells and pit cells increase in number during the liver regeneration, however, the functional meaning of this increase is not known.