Figure 1.

Hepatic circulation and microcirculation. Representation of the liver circulation, with the portal triad, which includes the hepatic artery, which supplies oxygenated blood; the portal vein, carrying blood rich in nutrients from the small intestine; and the bile duct, which collects bile products secreted by hepatocytes. Blood then mixes along the sinusoids, which are the liver microvessels (right panel), and drains into the central vein, which leads to the vena cava. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) constitute the walls of the microvessel. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) reside in the space defined between LSECs and hepatocytes (space of Disse), and act as the sinusoidal pericytes, while Kupffer cells (KCs) (resident macrophages) are located in the sinusoidal lumen.