At the ductal GANT61 plate stage, after the 11 WD, h-caldesmon was not expressed in the future portal tracts. At the remodelling stage, h-caldesmon expression was variably present in fusiform cells of the arterial tunica media (Figures 9 and 10). At the remodelled stage, all the cells in the arterial tunica

media were stained. Whatever the stage, the other portal cells, as well as cells in the lobular area, did not express h-caldesmon (Figure 11). Figure 8 h-Caldesmon expression in normal fetal liver. At the early time of development, the arterial tunica media cells in the hilum express h-caldesmon (arrow and left insert) (11 WD). Figure 9 h-Caldesmon expression in normal fetal liver. During the early time of the ductal plate remodelling, h-caldesmon is not detected in cells around the portal

arterial branch (arrow) (11 WD). Figure mTOR inhibitor cancer 10 h-Caldesmon expression in normal fetal liver. At advanced time in the remodelling stage, the arterial tunica media cells express faintly h-caldesmon (double arrow, right insert) or more strongly (single arrow, left insert) (13 WD). Whatever the stage of portal tract maturation, interstitial stromal cells are not stained. Figure 11 h-Caldesmon expression in normal fetal liver. Around the centrolobular cells, no h-caldesmon expression is found (23 WD). Cellular retinol-binding protein-1 (CRBP-1) During portal tract development, portal mesenchymal cells never expressed CRBP-1; in contrast biliary cells regularly showed a granular cytoplasmic expression (Figures 12 and 13). This cytoplasmic staining in biliary cells was stronger than in fetal hepatocytes but lower than in the stained cells of the Disse space. In lobular area, until the 13th WD, various number of CRBP-1 stained cells present in the Disse space was observed: no cells Telomerase in 2 cases, rare cells in 7 cases and numerous cells in 4 cases (Figure 14). After the 13th WD, numerous stained cells were present in all cases, selleck chemical excepted 2 cases where a few cells were observed. Between the 16th WD and the 18th WD, numerous cytoplasmic processes

were visible in these CRBP-1 stained cells present in the Disse space. Except in the oldest case, the density of stained cells was lower than in the adult liver. All cases showed a low cytoplasmic CRBP-1 staining in the hepatocytes and canaliculi were often underlined by a reinforcement of the CRBP-1 staining (Figure 15). Fusiform cells around centrolobular veins expressed CRBP-1 (Figure 16). Figure 12 Cellular retinol-binding protein-1 (CRBP-1) expression in normal fetal liver. At the beginning of the remodelling stage, biliary structures express CRBP-1 stronger than hepatocytes. The portal stromal cells are not stained (13 WD). Figure 13 Cellular retinol-binding protein-1 (CRBP-1) expression in normal fetal liver.