Cholestasis and Hepatic Sinusoidal Cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and functional changes in Kupffer cells and sinusoidal endothelial cells in cholestasis. Under an electron microscope, Kupffer cells in cholestasis were seen to be markedly enlarged and contained electron-dense material and distorted mitochondria. A clinical clearance study with chondroitin sulfated iron showed that the endocytic function of the Kupffer cells was significantly reduced in the cholestatic condition. In an in vitro study, the endocytic function of cultured Kupffer cells was decreased by two kinds of bile acid, taurochenodeoxycholate and taurocholate. However, tauroursodeoxycholate did not affect the endocytic activity of Kupffer cells.