Newly administered [3H]retinol is transferred from hepatocytes to stellate cells in liver for storage.
We have recently shown that newly administered vitamin A (retinol) is initially taken up by the parenchymal cells of the liver, and subsequently (within 1-2 h) transferred to non-parenchymal liver cells (NPC) (Blomhoff et al., ref. [10]). In the present study we have separated the NPC by different methods to determine the cell type responsible for this uptake of [3H]retinol. When liver cells were prepared between 5 and 18 h after intraduodenal administration of [3H]retinol, the radioactive retinol was recovered mainly in the stellate cells. Other liver cells (i.e., hepatocytes, endothelial cells and Kupffer cells) contained only small amounts of [3H]retinol. Further, fluorescence microscopy studies indicated that stellate cells contain large quantities of retinol. Our results show that newly administered [3H]retinol, which is initially located in the hepatocytes, is transferred to the stellate cells and stored there.
D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*
D014801:Vitamin A