Geometry of liver system functioning: from a helix to a trajectory on curved space.
Autoisodiasostasis of the liver, i.e., its self-maintenance without change over the course of time, is characterized by a bistable equilibrium between two extreme states called homopoiesis (during which the liver system repairs its worn structures and replicates its cells) and homoerhesis (during which it satisfies the needs of the body). Retinol binding protein traffic within the hepatocyte, made visible by means of immunohistology, has been used as a prototype for studying the competition processes and dynamics of autoisodiasostasis. An account is given of the oscillation of autoisodiasostasis between homopoiesis and homeorhesis through intermediate phases. The phase cycle of autoisodiasostasis is illustrated in the form of bi-dimensional and tri-dimensional diagrams. The temporal behaviour of the systems is represented as a helix trajectory obtained by projecting homopoiesis-homeorhesis phase cycles onto a time series. A unified topological representation of the uncoupled but combined processes of competition and autoisodiasostasis is proposed.
Dioguardi
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Centro Studi di Medicina Teoretica, Scuola di Specializzazione in Malattie del Fegato e del Ricambio, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological