The effect of feeding and fasting on fenestrations in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cell.
OBJECTIVE
Fenestrations are pores in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cell that facilitate the transfer of substrates between blood and hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nutritional state on the morphology of fenestrations.


METHODS
Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate fenestrations in livers from fasted and fed rats.


RESULTS
Fasting for 48 hours in rats was associated with an increase in the diameter of fenestrations from 90.7 +/- 11.7 nm in the fed state to 99.0 +/- 12.11 nm (p < 0.005). There was a concomitant reduction in the frequency of fenestrations from 8.45 +/- 2.43 to 7.39 +/- 2.28 fenestrations per microm(2) (p =0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Fasting was associated with increased diameter of fenestrations. The results provide evidence that fenestrations are dynamic structures that respond in vivo to physiological stimuli such as nutritional status.
O'Reilly
Jennifer N
JN
Centre for Education and Research on Ageing and the ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord RG Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Cogger
Victoria C
VC
Fraser
Robin
R
Le Couteur
David G
DG
D000818:Animals; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344