Scanning Electron Microscopy and the Study of Fc and C3b Receptors of Cultured Fat-storing Cells from Rat Liver

Non-parenchymal fat-storing cells (FSCs) were isolated from rat liver by Metrizamide density centrifugation after liver perfusion with media containing pronase and/or collagenase. These cells were cultured in Williams' E medium with 20 % fetal calf serum under the usual conditions. FSCs, identi-fied by vitamin A-specific fluorescence (VAF), were viewed under conventional light microscopy 24, 48 and 72 h after seeding. At 24 h, some FSCs remained hemispheric; at 48 h all FSCs were well spread out, and at 72 h the number of FSCs had increased and the VAF intensity had become weaker. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the features of the FSCs clearly differed from those of the other non-parenchymal cells. The in vitro FSC features closely resembled the in vivo features. FSCs cultured for 48 h had flattened, triangular or oval shapes with fairly smooth surfaces that showed scattered microvilli 0.1 μm long. Two types of processes, long slender (130 μm maximum length) and short broad ones, protruded from the cell body. These processes had smaller projections 0.2 μm wide that looked like fern leaves. Many lipid droplets could be seen under the cell surface.IgG-coated sheep erythrocytes (EAs) and IgM-C3-coated ox erythrocytes (EACs) were used to investigate whether there are Fc and C3b receptors on the FSCs. No rosette-formation characteristic of EAs or EACs was present on the FSCs; proof that FSCs have neither receptor.