| Hepatic stellate cell | |
|---|---|
_1476-5926-6-7-3-l.jpg) Schematic presentation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) located in the vicinity of adjacent hepatocytes (PC) beneath the sinusoidal endothelial cells (EC). S – liver sinusoids; KC – Kupffer cells. Down left shows cultured HSC at light-microscopy, whereas at down right electron microscopy (EM) illustrates numerous fat vacuoles (L) in a HSC, in which retinoids are stored. | |
 Basic liver structure | |
| Details | |
| Location | Perisinusoidal space of liver |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cellula perisinusoidalis; cellula accumulans adipem |
| MeSH | D055166 |
| TH | H3.04.05.0.00013 |
| Anatomical terms of microanatomy | |
Hepatic stellate cells (HSC), also known as perisinusoidal cells or Ito cells (earlier lipocytes or fat-storing cells), are pericytes found in the perisinusoidal space of the liver, also known as the space of Disse (a small area between the sinusoids and hepatocytes). The stellate cell is the major cell type involved in liver fibrosis, which is the formation of scar tissue in response to liver damage, in addition these cells store and concentrate vitamin A.