title: The effect of feeding and fasting on fenestrations in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cell.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Education and Research on Ageing and the ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney and Concord RG Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Victoria C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cogger
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
mesh_terms: 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