Pericanalicular location of hepatocyte lysosomes and effects of fasting: A morphometric analysis

Abstract

Lysosomes constitute a small proportion of hepatocyte volume, but they play a key degradative role, particularly during catabolic states such as nutritional deprivation. Our preliminary observations in hepatocytes suggested that fasting may alter the distribution of lysosomes, which are thought to congregate about the biliary canaliculus. Thecurrent study aimed to provide, in both fed and fasted rats, a quantitative morphometric analysis of lysosomes in the immediate pericanalicular and successively more distant regions. We selected three regions of radius 0 to 2 (region 1), 2 to 4 (region 2) and 4to 6 μm (region 3) about the bile canaliculus and compared lysosomal numerical and volume densi..