Transmission and scanning electron microscopy of the human liver cell cytoskeleton

Abstract

Human liver tissues were cracked in isopentane cooled by liquid nitrogen followed by immersion in 0.5% Triton X-100 or were perfused with 0.5% Triton X-100 and then fixed. Liver tissues were investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscope. Numerous intermediate filaments, a few microtubules and many microfilaments were noted in the cytoplasm of hepatocyte in situ. Three dimensional filamentous networks were visualized which were more prominent around bile canaliculi and at cell borders. Many microfilaments were preserved in the materials which were cracked in the isopentane at first. These results indicate that these methods are very useful to investigate cytoskeletal pathology of liver diseases.