[A 3-dimensional presentation of the functional liver unit].

The reconstruction of the liver parenchyma of a golden hamster after poisoning with allyl formate is described. Allyl formate primarily destroys the periportal areas and leads, following the microvascularisation of the liver parenchyma, to a necrosis of the hepatocytes progressing towards the terminal hepatic venule. The still intact parenchymal zones can be characterized by the positive PAS reaction. In this study the preterminal and the terminal portal branches as well as zone 3, situated in the vasculatory periphery, were reconstructed. By this method, a three-dimensional presentation of the acinar functional zones was possible for the first time.