Ito cell

The increase in laminin concentrations in these patients could be due to increased synthesis by Ito cells.

Laminin, a glycoprotein synthesised by Ito cells, has been considered a marker of fibrogenesis.

Reelin expressed by Ito cells has been shown to be a reliable marker in discerning them from other myofibroblasts.

Under some inflammatory stimuli Ito cells can transform into myofibroblast-like cells, thus increasing the synthesis of the different components of the extracellular matrix.

A variety of insults that cause inflammation can result in Ito cells transforming to myofibroblasts, resulting in collagen production, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.

Activation of a stellate cell (e.g. hepatic Ito cells or pancreatic stellate cells).

Laminin is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of about 850 kdaltons, mainly synthesised by Ito cells or lipocytes located in the hepatic space of Disse.

The Space of Disse also contains Ito cells, also called hepatic stellate cells, which store fat or fat soluble vitamins (like vitamin A).

Ito cells can be selectively stained with gold chloride, but their distinguishing feature in routine histological preparations is the presence of multiple lipid droplets in their cytoplasm.

It also suppressed the increasing tendency of IL-1beta and stimulated the production of TNF-alpha to inhibit Ito cell proliferation and collagen formation (Chen et al., 2005).

This term is in some respects a misnomer, for within it are the hepatic lipocytes (fat storing or Ito cells) and a specialised basement membrane-like matrix, which consists predominantly of type IV collagen, laminin, and proteoglycans.