Preliminary exploration of architecture of human hepatic functional unit

Abstract

Objective To construct a three-dimensional of human hepatic functional unit through digital technology, and study its 3D shape and spatial adjoining relationship in order to understand the construction law of hepatic functional unit hepatic lobule cells. Methods We selected human hepatic lobule tissue, and used conventional paraffin serial sections, HE staining technology and microscope scanning to obtain hepatic lobule section in 4-μm thickness. We employed Photoshop software for image registration and used AMIRA software 2019.1 version for 3D reconstruction of hepatic functional unit which include hepatic lobule. Lobular contours, hepatic sinusoids, hepatocyte cords, central veins, interlobular arteries, veins and bile ducts were measured and studied for the tissue morphological parameters. Results A 3D digital model of the hepatic functional unit was reconstructed, and we founded that the contour of the hepatic lobule was irregularly round and blunt polygon structure with different edge lengths. The maximum diameter was 1 495.27 μm and the minimum diameter was 1 036.96 μm; The central vein of the hepatic lobule was not located in the middle of the hepatic lobule, at 322.38, 474.05, 878.7 and 880.16 μm, The hepatic sinusoids were interwoven vascular networks, which did not constitute a radial arrangement of blood vessel networks. Conclusion The Results of our 3D morphological study of hepatic lobule are different from the traditional anatomy textbooks and atlas, which not only update our knowledge of the structure of hepatic functional unit, and provide a 3D visualization image of the real human hepatic lobule structure. However, we think that the 3D morphology of hepatic functional unit structure is produced under the condition of hepatic lobule cell shaping development and reshaping redevelopment, therefore it provides a computer model for the 3D printing of hepatic lobule tissue cells.

Keywords

• hepatic lobule
• hepatic functional unit
• 3d reconstruction
• architecture