Premium
Morphometric Characteristics of Human Hepatocellular Peroxisomes in Alcoholic Liver Disease
Author(s) -
Craemer Dirk De,
Pauwels Marina,
Branden Christiane
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05270.x
Subject(s) - peroxisome , alcoholic liver disease , microbody , liver biopsy , biopsy , organelle , steatosis , catalase , alcoholic cardiomyopathy , biology , alcoholic hepatitis , medicine , endocrinology , pathology , biochemistry , cirrhosis , enzyme , gene , heart failure , cardiomyopathy
Hepatocellular peroxisomes harbor one of the metabolic pathways for ethanol metabolism (i.e., catalase in the presence of H 2 O 2 ‐gen‐erating enzymes). We studied the morphometric characteristics of these organelles in 26 biopsy samples of patients with different alcohol‐induced lesions (12 with steatosis, 5 with hepatitis, and 9 with cimhosis) and compared the findings with those obtained in seven control livers. All 33 human liver biopsy samples were stained for catalase activity to facilitate peroxisomal identification. Morphometric analysis of the peroxisomes was performed on calibrated electron micrographs. The numerical density of the peroxisomes was significantly increased to 183%, whereas the mean peroxisomal diameter (dcircle) revealed a significant decrease to 89%. This resulted in a normal volume density of the peroxisomal compartment, whereas the surface density was significantly induced. Peroxisomal shape was not different between alcoholic and control livers. When alcoholic livers were divided into three subgroups according to his‐topathological findings, similar morphometric results were obtained when compared with control livers, although significancy was sometimes lost. No differences in peroxisomal characteristics were found among alcoholic subgroups. The mean peroxisomal diameter per human liver (alcoholic and control) was inversely correlated to the numerical density. It is concluded that the peroxisomal adaptation in human alcoholic liver is such as to create an efficient environment for a presumably increased peroxisomal metabolism.