[Structure of venular vessels and cellular composition of hepatic sinusoidal capillaries in newborn infants]

The objective of this study was to identify the structural peculiarities of terminal interlobular venules and to determine the number of endotheliocytes, hepatic fat-storing cells (FSC) and stellate macrophages (SM) in the liver of newborn infants. Liver fragments were obtained from 5 healthy newborn infants during medico-legal autopsies. In the sections stained using Mallory's method, the relation of the connective tissue of terminal portal tracts with the adventitia of interlobular veins was determined. The numbers of endotheliocytes, FSC and CD68+ SM were counted in different zones of the liver acini. It was found that the adventitia of the terminal interlobular venules was completely represented by the connective tissue of the terminal portal tracts. Anastomoses with the sinusoidal capillaries (SC) via the circumlobular venules form the preterminal veins. FSC were concentrated in the central and periportal zones of the liver acinus, endotheliocytes of SC - in the periportal and peripheral zones, while SM were evenly distributed in all parts of the liver acinus. Thus, in newborn infants, liver cells possessing fibrogenic potential were numerous and were accumulated mainly near terminal interlobular venules, their circumlobular branches and within their adventitia.