Immunohistochemistry - Parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells in the liver of prenatal and postnatal groups of guinea pigs

Abstract

Immunohistochemistry is a valuable and inexpensive tool used to identify the normal and abnormal parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells of the liver. The immunohistochemical identification of the liver cells of guinea pig from prenatal and postnatal age groups was conducted as per the ethical committee approval and this study would form the base line approach for disease diagnosis. The collected liver were processed for immunohistochemical staining protocol using antibodies namely CD68, CD34, CK 7, GFAP, αSMA, vimentin and insulin. The guinea pig liver of postnatal ages showed moderate positive immune reaction to CD34 antibody in the sinusoidal endothelial cells and decreased with age. CD68 positive immunoreactive granules showed strong reaction for the Kupffer cells and reaction decreased with age. Moderate CK7 positive immunoreaction was found in the lining epithelium of bile ducts. Hepatic stellate cells showed moderate GFAP positive reaction and decreased with age. HSCs were demonstrated as dense brown coloured alpha SMA immune positive cells in the hepatic sinusoids. The HSCs were demonstrated in the sinusoids by showing strong vimentin positive dark brown coloured cytoplasmic granules which decreased as age advanced. By Insulin immunohistochemical technique, beta cells were identified within the liver parenchyma in the sinusoidal space.