Capillarization of Hepatic Sinusoids in Man

The space of Disse or hepatic perisinusoidal tissue space separates the sinusoidal lining cells from the plasma membrane of the hepatocytes.Normally, plasma has free access to this space because of gaps in the sinusoidal lining cells and because they appear to rest directly on the microvilli of the hepatocytes without an intervening basement membrane.[1][2][3] This open circulation facilitates rapid interchange of material between the blood and the hepatocytes. 3In the examination of liver biopsy specimens from patients with various liver diseases, changes were seen in the space of Disse that indicate that the normally open circulation may become closed. Material and MethodsNeedle biopsy specimens from 63 patients were fixed in 1 per cent buffered osmic acid containing sucrose, embedded in Epon 812,4 stained with uranyl acetate 5 and examined with a Philips EM 100 microscope. ResultsThe space of Disse in normal persons was less than 0.5 JI. in width except at the juncture of two hepatocytes where it extended for