Morphometrical findings from human and animal liver cells in physiological and pathological conditions

An account is given in this paper of morphometric findings obtained from animal hepatocytes, following immersion and perfusion fixation, after enzyme induction, as well as during postnatal development and aging, together with findings recorded from human liver in preserved condition and after transplantation. The results are related to qualitative and functional changes. The following conclusions are drawn: Morphometric studies at cellular level and, in particular, studies into pathological changes for good success depend on the availability of control values which still have to be prepared primarily with regard to human liver. Given observance of optimum preparation conditions, the quantitative data obtainable from immersion fixation for all cell organelles are identical to those obtained from perfusion fixation. Generally, it is not sufficient to determine merely morphometrical data for individual cell organelles, since in many cases the pathological process does actually originate from displacement of relations among cell organelles. If misinterpretation is to be avoided, determination of quantitative data will not be sufficient for adequate assessment of functional or pathological changes, but additional qualitative description will be necessary of cell organelles and cellular correlations.