De Bleser P, Geerts A, Wisse E
Laboratory for Cell Biology and Histology, Free University Brussels (V.U.B.), Belgium.
Alcohol Alcohol Suppl. 1991;1:345-50.
In normal liver, fat-storing cells are the main storage site of vitamin A derivatives, mainly of retinyl palmitate and oleate. During liver injury, the phenotype of fat-storing cells alters dramatically. The cells gradually lose their fat-droplets, proliferate and synthesize large amounts of connective tissue molecules. In the present paper, we summarize the characteristics of fat-storing cells, review the role of fat-storing cells in development of hepatic fibrosis, and describe how retinoids affect the protein synthesis and proliferation of these cells.
