At the remodelling stage (Figure 2), in addition CBL-0137 clinical trial with fusiform cells under the endothelium of the portal

vein and cells in the tunica media of arteries, fusiform cells around the tubular biliary structures enmeshed in the portal stroma and the fusiform cells close to the ductal plate remnants expressed ASMA. The fusiform cells at distance of these two areas were negative for ASMA expression. At the remodelled stage, ASMA expression was restricted to the cells in the tunica media of the portal vessels (Figure 3). After 20 WD, a few fusiform cells scattered around large bile ducts in the large portal tracts near the hilum also expressed ASMA. Concerning the lobular area, rare stained HSC were scattered in the parenchyma (Figure 4); only 3 cases (3/28 cases), respectively at the 13th, 16th and 21th WD, showed foci of stained HSC. Cells around terminal

venules near the portal tract and fusiform cells around centrolobular veins expressed ASMA (Figure 5). Hepatocytic cells were not stained. Figure 1 Alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in GSK690693 price normal fetal liver. At the ductal plate stage, all fusiform cells in the portal stroma express ASMA (15 WD) (V: portal vein; D: ductal plate). Figure 2 Alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in normal fetal liver. At the remodelling stage, fusiform cells at distance of the vessels and the biliary structures are ASMA negative (13 WD) (V: portal vein; A: artery; B: bile Tozasertib duct). Figure 3 Alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in normal fetal liver. At the remodelled stage, ASMA expression in portal tract is confined to the tunica media of vessels (20 WD) (V: portal vein; A: artery; B: bile duct). Figure 4 Alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in normal fetal liver. Rare cells are stained with ASMA within the lobule (23 WD) (C: centrolobular vein; P: portal tract). Figure 5 Alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression in normal fetal liver. Second layer cells around the centrolobular vein

express ASMA, but not endothelial cells (arrows) (23 WD). With double immunofluorescence using anti ASMA and anti vimentin antibodies, negative ASMA fusiform cells within the portal Demeclocycline tract notably at the remodelled stage expressed only vimentin (Figures 6 and 7). Endothelial cells of the portal tract vessels, HSC and Kupffer cells were also stained, as previously described in adult liver [4, 18]. Figure 6 Double immunofluorescence with ASMA (green)/vimentin (red) in normal fetal liver. At the ductal plate stage, mesenchymal cells around portal vein express ASMA (green) (13 WD). Figure 7 Double immunofluorescence with ASMA (green)/vimentin (red) in normal fetal liver. At the remodelled stage, cells around portal vein and artery express ASMA (green), and portal fibroblasts (arrows) express only vimentin (red) (31 WD).