Intravital microscopy of the perfused liver: sinusoidal cells trap xenogeneic erythrocytes and tumor cells.

In this paper we describe for the first time cellular contacts of modified erythrocytes (RBC) and tumor cells with Kupffer cells in the perfused liver. The fate of tumor cells and modified erythrocytes, injected via the portal vein into the perfused rat liver was followed by intravital microscopy. In this system phagocytic cells in the liver were labeled with latex particles. Both xenogeneic erythrocytes and tumor cells (leukemia L5222) were trapped by Kupffer cells forming rosettes, whereas leukemia cells were also trapped by endothelial cells.