Kupffer Cells ; Liver Cirrhosis

No abstract available.
Human ; Kupffer Cells/*ultrasonography ; Liver Diseases/*pathology

Animals ; Endothelium ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity ; Kupffer Cells ; immunology ; Liver ; immunology

PURPOSE: Portal vein transfusion (PVT) has been known to induce immunosuppression or tolerance and Kupffer cell was identified to play an important role in the phenomenon. The purposes of this study were investigating PVT effect on gene regulation in Kupffer cells and subsequent change in serum cytokine. METHODS: For investigating the effect of PVT, Kupffer cells were isolated from the mice (BalbC) of six groups; 1 hour sham operation (S), 1 hour portal vein saline injection (PVS), 1 hour PVT, 24 hour S, 24 hour PVS, and 24 hour PVT groups. Each group was composed of 3 mice. Total RNAs isolated from Kupffer cells were subjected to RT-PCR differential display. The bands of 24 hour group showing increased expression was cloned for the sequencing analysis. RESULTS: Macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1alpha) was identified from the bands of increased expression. In PVT groups, increased expression of MIP-1alpha mRNA in Kupffer cells coincided with elevated serum level of MIP-1alpha. CONCLUSION: MIP-1alpha may be one of the important cytokines involved in PVT induced immunosuppression or tolerance.
Animals ; Chemokine CCL3* ; Clone Cells ; Cytokines ; Immunosuppression ; Kupffer Cells* ; Mice ; Portal Vein* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Focal nodular hyperplasia is a benign hepatic tumor mainly composed of nodules of hepatocytes and Kupffer cells separated by fibrous septa. In general, it is difficult to differentiate focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular carcinoma on ultrasonography, conventional CT(computerized tomography), and angiography. But IV bolus CT is of particular value in the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia because it can divide enhanced CT into early and late phase and can characterize tumor vascularity and analyze any intratumoral elements. In our case, it was seen as a hypoechoic mass lesion on ultrasonograpl'hy and hyperdense mass lesion on early-phase IV bolus CF and isodense mass, lesion on late-phase IV bolus CT. On angiography, hypertrophy of the feeding artery and tumor staining were well visualized. The patient underwent operation and the mass was pathologically confirmed to a focal nodular hyperplasia. We report the first case of focal nodular hyperplasia on IV bolus CT in Korea.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diagnosis ; Focal Nodular Hyperplasia ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Korea ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver* ; Ultrasonography

Macrophages in 14 human livers from 5 to 37 weeks of gestation were studied immunohistochemically and transmission electron microscopically with 3 human fetal livers during the high activity of hepatic hemopoiesis. Author had used a highly specific mAb, CD68 to examine the distribution of mature macrophages in human fetal livers, with special reference to their presence in the hemopoietic microenvironment. Kupffer cells and macrophages were first seen in human enbryos by 7 weeks of gestation in primitive hepatic sinusoids and hepatic laminae. Thereafter numbers of CD68 labelled cells increased concomitantly with the rapid expansion of hemopoietic activity. From 11 to 26 weeks of gestation, the human fetal livers showed the maintenance of high hemopoietic activity and erythroblastic islands with various shapes. Macrophages in human fetal livers formed part of the hemopoietic stroma and their extensively spread plasma cytoplasmic processes, could be seen making intimate contacts with clusters of developing erythroblastic cells. Partly macrophages in the erythroblastic islands contained several developing erythroblastic cells (emperipolesis). Studies using the electron microscope demonstrated intact membranes surrounding the developing erythroblastic cells and lining the macrophagic vesicles. The decline of hepatic hemopoiesis after 27 weeks of gestation coincided with the decline of the size of an erythroblastic island and the disappearence of macrophage in the erythroblastic islands. The above results suggest that macrophages in the hepatic hemopoiesis participate in non-phagocytic hemopoietic cell interactions, erythroblastic island and macrophagic emperipolesis, as well as in phagocytosis of erythroblastic nuclei and dying cells.
Cell Communication ; Cytoplasm ; Emperipolesis ; Erythroblasts* ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Islands* ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver* ; Macrophages ; Membranes ; Phagocytosis ; Plasma ; Pregnancy

The aims of this study were to verify the hypoxia-reoxygenation injury of primary cultured Kupffer cells and the effect of propofol against the hypoxia-reoxygenation injury through quantitating lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.The sequential treatments with hypoxia and reoxygenation induced significant increasement of LDH release (P.0.01) and decresement of SOD activity(P.0.05) in primary cultured Kupffer cell. The level of LDH release and SOD activity after sequential treatments with hypoxia and reoxygenation were restored to the control level by the propofol treatment in the concentration of 0.5 and 5 microgram/mL. Propofol in concentration of 50 microgram/mL induced significant increasement of LDH release (P.0.01) on both normal culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation culture of the Kupffer cell. As hypoxia and reoxygenation procedures and propofol treatment were concurrently added to the cultured Kupffer cell, propofol treatment in the concentration of 50 microgram/mL decreased significantly the SOD activity (P.0.01). In conclusion, propofol in this hypoxia-reoxygenation model could provide a valuable clue for the study of liver transplantation and of propofol.
Anoxia ; Kupffer Cells ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Transplantation ; Propofol* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

The incidence of non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing year by year, and the relevant cardiovascular events have become a major problem in chronic diseases management. The activation of innate immunity is closely related to the development of NAFLD. The immune cells include Kupffer cells, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and natural killer T cells, which acts through the activation of innate immunity-related signals mediated by pattern recognition receptors.
Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The hepatic hemopoiesis in intrauterine lifeis predominently erythropoiesis,and the erythroblasts undergo the differentiation process finally to form reticulocytes.In this syudy, the development of erythropoiesis in human fetal liver was observed using transmission electron microscope. The immature erythroblasts were more prominent in earlier fetal liver and proliferated rather than went through final differentiation process. The erythroblasts of different differentiation stages exhibited apoptosis in addition to the normal differentiation process. The nuclei of acidophilic erythroblasts were removed by the excessive condensation and dissociation of nuclei from the cytoplasm or by the displacement of nuclei to one side of the cell with deformation of nuclei. The deformed nuclei restored the round shape after the completion of enucleation and engulfed by hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Two types of erythroblast islands were present in hepatic plate by the differentiation stages of erythroblasts, id est, islands of the same and the different differentiation stages. And several erythroblasts and enucleated nuclei were included in hepatocytes, intrahepatic macrophages and Kupffer cells, and the intrahepatic macrophages resembling Kupffer cell could be suggested to be originated from the Kupffer cell. But there was no morphological evidence of phagocytosis of erythroblasts and nuclei by these cells. In summary, human fetal hepatic erythropoiesis occurred by forming erythroblastic islands and some erythroblasts proceeded to apoptosis during the differentiation. Hepatocytes and macrophages were present in close relation to erythroblast islands and were suggested to influence the development and differentiation of erythroblasts.
Apoptosis ; Cytoplasm ; Erythroblasts* ; Erythropoiesis ; Hepatocytes ; Humans* ; Islands ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver* ; Macrophages ; Phagocytosis

For studies on the developmental stages of migrating erythroid cells and the development of sinusoid, transmission and scanning electron microscopic observations were undertaken on rat fetal liver in 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 days of gestation. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The hepatic sinusoidal endothelium were mainly non-fenestrated cell and fenestrated cell with diaphragm before 17 days of gestation, but fenestrated cells without diaphragm began to appear after 17 days of gestation. Two types of fenestrae were observed, free and clustered fenestrae, but both types were not involved in migration of erythroid cells. 2. Endothelial cell was continuous with neighboring cells by intercellular junctions between lateral cytoplasmic processes with zonula adherens, and between perinuclear cytoplasms with macula adherens. 3. After 13 days of gestation, Kupffer cells showed as matured cell morphology of irregular shape with long cytoplasmic processes into hepatic cord and perisinusoidal space. 4. Migrating erythroid cells in rat fetal liver sinusoid were mainly consisted of immature erythroblasts from proerythroblast to acidophilic erythroblast. The migration occurred through the migrating pores formed on the various sites of the endothelial cytoplasm into the hepatic sinusoidal lumen with no relation to the maturation stages of erythroblast and endothelial cell. In summary, the migration of erythroid cells in the sinusoid of rat fetal liver occurred through the invasion and migration pores transiently formed at various sites of endothelial cytoplasm, and migrating erythroid cells were mainly nucleated immature types.
Adherens Junctions ; Animals ; Cytoplasm ; Diaphragm ; Emigration and Immigration ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium ; Erythroblasts ; Erythroid Cells* ; Intercellular Junctions ; Kupffer Cells ; Liver* ; Pregnancy ; Rats*