Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells: Physiology and role in liver diseases
Abstract
Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are highly specialized endothelial cells representing the interface between blood cells on the one side and hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells on the other side. LSECs represent a permeable barrier. Indeed, the association of 'fenestrae', absence of diaphragm and lack of basement membrane make them the most permeable endothelial cells of the mammalian body. They also have the highest endocytosis capacity of human cells. In physiological conditions, LSECs regulate hepatic vascular tone contributing to the maintenance of a low portal pressure despite the major changes in hepatic blood flow occurring during digestion. LSECs maintain hepatic stellate cell quiescence, thus inhibiting intrahepatic vasoconstriction and fibrosis development. In pathological conditions, LSECs play a key role in the initiation and progression of chronic liver diseases. Indeed, they become capillarized and lose their protective properties, and they promote angiogenesis and vasoconstriction. LSECs are implicated in liver regeneration following acute liver injury or partial hepatectomy since they renew from LSECs and/or LSEC progenitors, they sense changes in shear stress resulting from surgery, and they interact with platelets and inflammatory cells. LSECs also play a role in hepatocellular carcinoma development and progression, in ageing, and in liver lesions related to inflammation and infection. This review also presents a detailed analysis of the technic…
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Excessive shear stress can lead to damage of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and haemorrhagic necrosis.
“However, studies have also demonstrated that excessive shear stress can lead to damage of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and haemorrhagic necrosis[42].”
From Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy: Triggers and mechanisms (2025) · cites this paper as [42]
Excessive increases in portal pressure beyond approximately 20 mmHg, such as after 90% hepatectomy, are associated with liver sinusoidal endothelial damage, hemorrhagic necrosis, and post-hepatectomy liver failure.
“excessive increases beyond approximately 20 mmHg, such as after 90% hepatectomy, are associated with liver sinusoidal endothelial damage, hemorrhagic necrosis, and post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF).”
From Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy: Triggers and mechanisms (2025) · cites this paper as [42]
Sinusoidal dysfunction, including defenestration and HSC activation, precedes scar formation and liver fibrosis.
“Sinusoidal dysfunction, including defenestration and HSC activation, precedes scar formation and liver fibrosis”
From Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Early Emergence of Liver Parenchymal and Non-parenchymal Cell Lineages (2020) · cites this paper as Poisson et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Poisson, J., Lemoinne, S., Boulanger, C., Durand, F., Moreau, R., Valla, D., & Rautou, P.-E.
- Affiliations
- Inserm (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Rautou, Pierre-Emmanuel
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Hepatology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 212-227
- ISSN
- 0168-8278 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2470906679
- Cited by
- 1,047
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 116 · 2025: 133 · 2024: 143 · 2023: 116 · 2022: 119 · 2021: 142 · 2020: 122 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 19 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 6.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Hepatology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR-14-CE12-0011, ANR-14-CE35-0022)
- Association Francaise pour l’Etude du foie (AFEF 2014)
- poste d’accueil INSERM
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Disease and Transplantation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Organ Transplantation Techniques and Outcomes
- Keywords
- liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, fenestrated endothelium, endothelial permeability, portal pressure, liver fibrosis, chronic liver disease, liver regeneration, shear stress, platelet interaction, hepatocellular carcinoma, aging, liver inflammation, transgenic mouse model
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Liver Diseases, Hepatocytes
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