Changes in laminin immunoreactivity as a marker for the state of liver preservation

Summary In order to examine the role of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein laminin as a marker for the preservation of liver tissue, dog livers were perfused and then preserved for 5 min, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 22 and 26 hours with HTK (histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate) solution at 5°C and at 25°C and with UW (University of Wisconsin) solution at 5°C. The tissue was processed for the immunohistochemical demonstration of laminin using an anti-P1 and an anti-E8 antibody. The peroxidase-antiperoxidase method was used for the visualization of the immunohistochemical reaction. At the beginning of the preservation, immunostaining was observed for both fragments of laminin around bile ducts and blood vessels of the portal spaces, under all preservation conditions. Clear immunostaining was also visible in the wall of the terminal arterioles located between the liver lobules. In the 5°C-preserved tissues, immunostaining for both laminin fragments occurred for preservation times between 4 and 6 hours in the form of isolated perisinusoidal deposits at the transition point where the sinusoids sprout from the terminal venules. In the 25°C-preserved tissue, such a staining pattern was already visible after 1 to 2 hours, preservation time. Our results show that the occurrence of laminin immunoreactivity in the sinusoids can be taken as a marker for the state of liver preservation. A hypothesis for the presence and the role of this glycoprotein in the perisinusoidal space is presented.