Differentiation Potential of Pancreatic Fibroblastoid Cells/Stellate Cells: Effects of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Ligands
Figure 1
Morphological analysis and comparison of PSC and hPFC. (a) Pancreatic stellate cells after 3 days of adherence fixed with glutaraldehyde/malachite green to preserve lipid droplets. (original magnification: 3000x). (b) PSC in standard fixation showing layered lipid droplets (original magnification: 3000x). (c) Oil red staining of PSC after 3 d in culture (original magnification: 200x). (d) Oil red staining of human pancreatic fibroblastoid cells (hPFCs) after 3 passages (original magnification: 200x). (e)–(h) Electron microscopy analysis of hPFC in standard fixation after 3 passages. (e) Section of three adjacent cells showing dense cytoskeletal structures at sites of adhesion. Throughout the cytoplasm, multilamellar vesicles and round layered entities (arrows), can be seen (original magnification: 3000x). (f) Multilamellar vesicles at higher magnification (20000x) show different stages of membrane degradation. While some structures show stacked lipid bilayers (arrow), others contain electron-dense “molten” membrane in addition to fuzzy, lighter material (arrowheads). (g) Picture shows layered lipid entities next to multivesicular lysosomal/autosomal structures (original magnification 7000x). (h) High magnification view (85000x) of layered entity reveals these structures as nonmembrane-bounded lipid droplet.
