The progenitor cell compartment in the feline liver: an (immuno)histochemical investigation

The hepatic progenitor compartment is of vital importance in liver regeneration when hepatocellular replication is impaired, as it occurs in acute fulminant hepatitis or severe liver fibrosis. It consists of resident progenitor cells in the normal liver, and ductular reaction and intermediate hepatobiliary cells in diseased livers. An histologic and immunohistochemical study was conducted to demonstrate putative hepatic progenitor cells in the normal liver (n = 5) and in a range of hepatic diseases (n = 13) in the cat. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens were stained with HE, the van Gieson stain, and the reticulin stain according to Gordon and Sweet, and immunohistochemically stained for cytokeratin-7 (CK7), human hepatocyte marker 1 (Hepar1), and multidrug resistance-binding protein-2/ATP binding cassette C2 (MRP2). The normal feline liver contains a liver progenitor cell morphologically similar to humans and dogs, which resides in the canal of Hering. In acute and chronic feline liver diseases a ductular reaction is present, whether in the parenchyma or in a portal or septal location. The putative progenitor cells could easily be demonstrated by staining for CK7, whereas they were generally negative for Hepar1 and MRP2. In a parenchymal ductular reaction mitotic figures and cells with an intermediate hepatobiliary phenotype could be demonstrated. This is the first account of hepatic progenitor cells in feline liver.