Mesenchymal origin of hepatic stellate cells, submesothelial cells, and perivascular mesenchymal cells during mouse liver development

Abstract

The mesothelial cells which are desmin-positive but negative for smooth muscle actin-alpha (SMAα). The perivascular mesenchymal cells which are desmin and SMA-positive with single desmin-positive SMA-negative cells. The parenchymal mesenchymal cells (hepatic stellate cells [HSCs]) which are desmin-positive and SMAα-negative with single exceptions (SMAα-positive and desmin-positive). Could the single desmin-positive and SMAα-positive cells of the parenchyma (in Fig. 2E,F of Asahina et al.) represent the cells of the arterial capillary of the sinusoids? Did the enriched HSC population contain SMAα RNA? Is it possible that the desmin-positive, SMAα-negative cells (HSCs) do not survive in culture? If they survive (ALCAM-high) acquiring the myofibroblastic phenotype, does the SMAα gene expression decrease when they are cultured on collagen in the presence of retinol and palmitic acid, and does ALCAM remain positive (immunocytology)? Is it possible to make similar experiments using enriched HSCs? Giuliano Ramadori M.D.*, Tümen Mansuroglu M.D.*, * Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Endocrinology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.