Histology of the Liver Flashcards
What does a portal triad contain?
- Artery
- Vein
- Bile duct
Where does the central vein of a hepatic lobule drain to?
Sublobular vein (then to hepatic vein)
What does blood travel in from triad artery/vein to the central vein?
Hepatic sinusoids
How does bile reach ducts from hepatocytes?
Through grooves through hepatocytes/bile canaliculi
What type of cell is a Kupffer cell?
Macrophage
What do stellate cells contain?
Vacuoles containing vitamin A
What do stellate cells produce?
Reticular fibres for the perisinusoidal space (of Disse)
How can pathology of stellate cells lead to fibrosis?
- Cells lose vacuoles and differentiate into myofibroblasts
- These only produce fibres, leading to fibrosis
What features connect hepatocytes to bile canaliculi?
Microvilli extending from hepatocyte
Bile excretory pathway from hepatocytes to portal bile duct
- ≥2 faces of hepatocyte contain a trench forming a bile canaliculus
- These drain hepatocytes
- At periphery of lobule, periportal bile ductule (canal of Hering/cholangiole) drains bile canaliculi
- This leaves lobule through limiting plate + enters portal bile duct
How does lymph move from central vein to lymphatic vessel?
- Enters perisinusoidal space of Disse
- Space of Mall (found at periphery of hepatic lobule) continuous with space of Disse + drains it
- Lymphatic vessels pierce limiting plate + drain space of Mall
Hepatic lobule vs portal lobule vs liver acinus
- HL = hexagon centred around central vein –> drains blood from portal vein + hepatic artery to central vein
- PL = hexagon centred around portal triad –> drains bile from hepatocytes to bile duct
- LA = diamond centred around vessels connecting portal triads (central veins at 2 opposing corners, portal triads at other 2 opposing corners) –> supplies oxygenated blood to hepatocytes
3 zones of a liver acinus
- Zone 1 (closest to portal triad vessels, most oxygenated)
- Zone 2 (middle)
- Zone 3 (closest to hepatic venule, least oxygenated)
