Fenestration patterns in endothelial cells of rat liver sinusoids

Endothelial fenestrae of both zone 1 and zone 3 acinar liver sinusoids have been studied in rats by an interactive analysis of scanning electron microscopical images. Two fenestration patterns have been recognized in the endothelial cells on the basis of local variation in size, distribution and clustering of pores in each acinar zone. Our data indicate that both the number of fenestrae per square micrometer of endothelial surface and the mean diameter of fenestrae are significantly larger in zone 3 than in zone 1. The number of sieve plates is about 1.74 times larger in zone 3 than in zone 1, and the number of fenestrae per plate in zone 3 is nearly twice that in zone 1. Two different classes of fenestrae have been considered: clustered pores, which prevail in zone 3 and have a mean diameter smaller than the other pores, and free pores, which prevail in zone 1 and are bigger.