Analysis of the Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Organization During The
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CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 23: 341-348 (1998) © 1998 by Japan Society for Cell Biology Analysis of the Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Organization during the Develop- mental Stage of the Fetal Rat Liver Using a Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Specific Antibody, SE-1 Mamoru Morita1, Wang Qun2, Hitoshi Watanabe1, Yuko Doi1, Michio Mori3, and Katsuhiko Enomoto1'* department of Pathology, Akita University School of Medicine, Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan, depart- ment of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, NormanBethune University of Medical Science, Jilin, P.R. of China, and *Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S-l, W-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060, Japan Keywords: sinusoidal endothelial cells/SE-1 antibody/fetal rat liver ABSTRACT.The sinusoid organization during the development of fetal rat livers was studied using a SE-1 antibody, which we have previously established as a specific monoclonal antibody against rat sinusoidal endo- thelial cell (SEC). Expression and localization of the SE-1 antigen in the liver tissues of 13- to 21-day-old fe- tuses were immunofluorescently and immunoelectron microscopically examined. The first positive fluorescence was observed in the immature liver of 15-day-old fetuses. The initial positive staining was randomly distrib- uted in the liver parenchyma and showed no direct relation to the large vessels which may be derived from the fetal vitelline veins. The positive linear staining increased in number and connected with each other during the course of development. The SE-1 staining pattern and the sinusoidal arrangement became similar to those of the adult liver after 20th day of gestation. Immunoelectron microscopically, the immature SEC showed a weak positive reaction for the SE-1 antigen at their membraneand was observed together with immature hepato- cytes and hematopoietic cells in the 15-day-old fetal liver. Along with the liver development, SEC formed a si- nusoid structure closely associated with hepatocytes and came to strongly express the SE-1 antigen. These re- sults indicate that the organization of the hepatic sinusoid maystart at around 15th day of the gestation and occurs randomly in the fetal liver parenchyma. It is also suggested that the expression of SE-1 antigen is possi- bly regulated by the intimate association with hepatocytes. The liver sinusoid is a specialized vascular system which changes in SEC during development of the fetal rat liv- consists of endothelial cells with characteristic morpho- er (1, 2, ll). Barbera-Guillem et al. (2) reported that the logical features, such as open fenestration and lack of number and size of the fenestration of SECdiffer great- basal lamina (10, 16). These features are thought to fa- ly depending on their zonal location in the liver and cilitate the active exchangeof various metabolic sub- stage of development. However, the details in the sinu- stances between blood and hepatocytes through the soidal organization in fetal livers have yet to be well es- space of Disse. Although the mechanisms of appear- tablished. ance and maintenance of these morphological features Wepreviously established a novel monoclonal anti- are not yet known, recent studies have suggested that body, SE-1, which specifically recognized an antigen these structures are regulated by hepatocyte related fac- (M.W. 45 kD) expressed only in rat liver SEC and in no tors or by the extracellular matrix (8, 9). other type of endothelial cell (7, 12). Although the na- Structure and function of SEC have been well stud- ture of SE-1 antigen has yet to be elucidated, the ex- ied in adult rat livers as described above. However, pression of SE-1 antigen has been considered to be re- only a few studies have reported on the structural lated to some specific function of SEC. In this study, in order to elucidate the structural organization and the * Corresponding author: Katsuhiko Enomoto Ph.D, Department functional maturation of SECin the fetal rat liver, we of Pathology, Akita University School of Medicine, Hongo 1-1-1, examined the expression of SE-1 antigen during devel- Akita 010-8543, Japan opment of the fetal rat liver immunohistochemically Tel: +81-18-884-6059, Fax: +81-18-836-2601 and immunoelectron microscopically. E-mail: [email protected] 341 M. Morita et al. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the quantitative analysis of the length of SE-1 positive SEC, fluorescent microphotographs of the fetal livers (15th, Animals 17th, 19th and 21st day of age) were randomly taken and the Pregnant Fischer 344 (F344) rats at 13 days of gestation were length of positive sinusoids (more than 200 sinusoids/each purchased from Charles River Japan Co. (Kanagawa, Japan) age) was measured. or obtained by mating in the animal facility of Akita Univer- sity, School of Medicine. The rats were maintained in rooms Immunoelectronmicroscopicexamination with temperature and light control. Theywere anesthetized The liver tissues were fixed in PLPsolution for 12 hr at 4°C. with ehter and fetuses from 13 to 21 days of gestation were After washing in TBS, approximately 50 //m liver slices were obtained after hysterectomy. Livers of the fetus at each gesta- prepared with a Micro-Slicer DTK-2000 (Dosaka EM, Kyoto, tional day were carefully removed and processed for the fol- Japan), and 10 times-diluted normal goat serum was applied lowing histological examinations. A part of the livers was fro- to them to block the nonspecific reactions. The liver slices zen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C for immunofluo- were then incubated with SE-1 antibody for 12 hr at room rescent staining, and the remaining part of the livers was temperature, washed again in TBSand incubated with peroxi- fixed in freshly prepared periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde dase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (DAKOJapan, Kyoto, (PLP) solution for immunoelectron microscopic analysis. For Japan, 1:100 dilution) as a second antibody for 1hr at the control experiment, livers of the newborn and 10-week- roomtemperature. Specific reaction products were detected old rats were also processed. in 0.02% diaminobenzidine-4HCl (Wako Pure Chemical, Osaka, Japan) and 0.0045% H2O2 solution as previously Immunofluorescentstaining described (12). They were post-fixed in 1% osmium solution, For immunofluorescent staining, frozen sections (approxi- dehydrated in a series of concentrated ethanol, and embed- mately 5 fim thick) of the fetal liver were placed on silane- ded in epoxy resin using propylene oxide. Ultrathin sections coated slides and fixed in cold acetone for 15 min. The sec- counterstained with lead citrate were examined with a JEM tions were dried and incubated with SE-1 monoclonal anti- 1200 EXelectron microscope. body or rabbit antibody against Factor VHI-related antigen (DAKOJapan, Kyoto, Japan) for 1 hr at room temperature. RESULT S After several washes with Tris buffered saline (0.05 MTris, 0.83% NaCl: TBS), the second antibody, a nuorescein isothi- In the adult rat liver, as previously reported (12), ex- ocyanate (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG or a rho- pression of SE-1 antigen was observed only in SECbut damine (TRITC)-conjugated swine anti-rabbit IgG (DAKO not in the endothelial cells of portal or hepatic veins Japan, Kyoto, Japan) diluted to 1:100 with TBS was ap- (Fig. la). Onthe contrary, the Factor vin related anti- plied. Stained sections were examined with a fluorescence mi- gen (F vm) was positive in the endothelial cells of hepa- croscope (Nikon Co., Tokyo, Japan). tic veins but negative in SEC(Fig. lb). Fig. 1. Immunofluorescent localization of SE-1 antigen (a) and Factor vmrelated antigen (b) in the contiguous sections of the adult rat liver. The SE-1 antigen is expressed only in the sinusoidal endothelial cells but not in the endothelial cells of hepatic vein. Factor vm related antigen is positive in endothelial cells of the hepatic vein. ( x 90) 342 Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Organization in the Fetal Rat Liver More than 20 fetal rat livers at each gestational day immature hepatocytes and hematopoietic cells were ob- were examined. As shown in Fig. 2a, the dilated vascu- served in the liver of 13th day fetuses. However, no lar lumens corresponding to the fetal vitelline vein with positive staining for SE-1 antigen was seen in the fetal Fig. 2. Changes in histology and expression of the SE-1 antigen in livers at 13th day (a, b), 15th day (c, d), 17th day (e, f) and 21st day (g, h) fetuses. At 13th day, the dilated vascular lumens derived from the vitelline veins are observed (a). Expression of the SE-1 antigen (b, d, f and h) increases during the development of fetal liver. H&Estaining; a, c, e, g. ( x 110) 343 M. Morita et al. liver at this age (Fig. 2b). At 15th day, the liver paren- ducts were found along the surface of plasma mem- chymamassively proliferated and a few vascular lu- brane of SEC(Fig. 3a), but the positive reaction at this mens were present (Fig. 2c). Although it is difficult to stage was weaker than that of the adult rat liver as re- identify the organization of sinusoidal structure in the ported previously (12) and sometimes showed segmen- liver by hematoxylin and eosin stained sections, immu- tal distribution on the plasma membrane of SEC. The nostaining for fibronectin revealed organized sinusoid- SE-1 positive SEC (Fig. 3a) showed relatively thin cyto- like structures delineated by fibronectin deposits (data plasm which extended along the sinusoidal lumen as not shown). Presence of the organized sinusoid-like compared with the negative SEC (Fig. 3b). Interesting- structures in the liver of 15-day-old fetus was also con- ly, the hepatic stellate-like cell (S) was localized at the firmed by electron microscopical examination. perisinusoidal space and seemed to contact with both Immunofluorescent staining of the livers of 15-day- SECand hematopoietic cells (Fig.