Isolation of the perisinusoidal vitamin A-storing cells from rat liver on Ca2(+)-immobilized glass surfaces.

Calcium was immobilized on glass slides employing covalently coupled iminodiacetic acid. The calcium-coated glass surfaces were then used for purification and culturing of perisinusoidal vitamin A-storing cells from rat liver. The cells were isolated in a yield of 0.9 x 10(6) cells/g rat liver without cross-contamination by other hepatic cell types. The cells were characterized by morphology, vitamin A fluorescence, and immunohistochemistry to detect expression of cellular retinol-binding protein.