Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Physiol Res. 2021 Dec 30;70(6):821-829. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.934755. Epub 2021 Oct 30.
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are located in the space of Disse, between liver sinusoidal endothelia cells (LSECs) and hepatocytes. They have surprised and excited hepatologists for their biological characteristics. Under physiological quiescent conditions, HSCs are the major vitamin A-storing cells of the liver, playing crucial roles in the liver development, regeneration, and tissue homeostasis. Upon injury-induced activation, HSCs convert to a pro-fibrotic state, producing the excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) and promoting angiogenesis in the liver fibrogenesis. Activated HSCs significantly contribute to liver fibrosis progression and inactivated HSCs are key to liver fibrosis regression. In this review, we summarize the comprehensive understanding of HSCs features, including their roles in normal liver and liver fibrosis in hopes of advancing the development of emerging diagnosis and treatment for hepatic fibrosis.
肝星状细胞 (HSCs) 位于窦周间隙,位于肝窦内皮细胞 (LSECs) 和肝细胞之间。它们的生物学特性令肝病学家感到惊讶和兴奋。在生理静止状态下,HSCs 是肝脏中维生素 A 的主要储存细胞,在肝脏发育、再生和组织稳态中发挥着关键作用。在损伤诱导的激活下,HSCs 转化为促纤维化状态,产生过多的细胞外基质 (ECM),并促进肝脏纤维化中的血管生成。活化的 HSCs 显著促进肝纤维化的进展,而失活的 HSCs 是肝纤维化消退的关键。在这篇综述中,我们总结了对 HSCs 特征的全面认识,包括它们在正常肝脏和肝纤维化中的作用,以期为肝纤维化的新兴诊断和治疗方法的发展提供帮助。