Electron microscopy of fat-storing cells in liver diseases with special reference to cilia and cytoplasmic cholesterol crystals.

Abstract

Two hundred and ten fat-storing cells in the liver of patients with liver diseases were examined electron microscopically, and 5 of them were found to project a single cilium from the perinuclear region to the space of Disse. Three cilia were in the space between a hepatocyte and their own cell body, and 2 were between a sinusoidal endothelial cell and their own cell body. In cross sections of the cilium, the axoneme consisted of 9 pairs of microtubules arranged in a cylinder and lacked a central pair of microtubules ("9 + 0" pattern). Arms and spokes were also absent in the axoneme. Therefore, the single cilium of fat-storing cells was considered to be immotile. Some fat-storing cells from a patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis contained an angular electron lucid inclusion, which was identical to cholesterol ester crystals, suggesting the presence of disturbed cholesterol metabolism.