Effects of biliary obstruction on the endocytic activity in hepatocyte and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells in rats

Obstructive jaundice impairs function in liver parenchymal and sinusoidal cells. In this study, the endocytic activity in sinusoidal endothelial cells in the rats with biliary obstruction was measured by plasma clearance of radiolabeled formaldehyde-treated bovine serum albumin. The endocytic activity in hepatocytes was also measured with asialofetuin. The clearance of asialofetuin significantly decreased after 1 week of biliary obstruction and the clearance was reduced to 42% of the controls at 4 weeks. In contrast, the clearance of formaldehyde-treated bovine serum albumin was essentially unchanged until 4 weeks of biliary obstruction. The maximal removal rate which was assessed by kinetic analysis of injected protein for formaldehyde-treated bovine serum albumin showed no significant decrease at 2 weeks compared with the controls, while that for asialofetuin was significantly decreased to 50% of the controls. These results suggest that the endocytosis of formaldehyde-treated bovine serum albumin in endothelial cells is maintained until the advanced stage of biliary obstruction, whereas the endocytic activity for asialofetuin in hepatocytes is impaired earlier.