Morphometric study on the absolute volume of differentiating hepatocytes in rats.

Quantitative changes in the mean absolute volume of rat hepatocytes during prenatal development were studied by light microscopic stereological methods. Combining these light microscopic measurements with electron microscopic relative volume (volume density) data (Daimon et al. 1982) enabled the evaluation of the mean absolute volumes of cytoplasmic organelles of fetuses and newborns. On the 15th day of gestation the mean absolute volume of hepatocytes was 1,523 +/- 10.7 microns3. After 3 days hepatocytes were enlarged 66.2% (2,531.5 +/- 108.2) and at birth 157.1% (3,915.6 +/- 190.8). The comparison of the absolute volume and the volume density of each cell organelle made possible the interpretation of much functional and morphometric data of the development of hepatocytes.