Three-dimensional observations of the hepatic arterial terminations in rat, hamster and human liver by scanning electron microscopy of microvascular casts.

The arterial terminations were studied by scanning electron microscopy of microvascular casts in rat, hamster and human livers. Important species differences were observed. In the rat, frequent anastomoses between the terminal hepatic arterioles and portal venules were observed, whereas a few arterioles terminated directly into sinusoids. On the contrary, no arterioportal venous anastomoses were demonstrated in the hamster and human livers. In these latter species, all arterioles terminated into sinusoids adjacent to the portal tracts. No intralobular arterioles were observed in any species.