Hepatic stellate cells and extrahepatic stellate cells (extrahepatic vitamin A-storing cells)

Absorptive cells in the jejunum of rats take retinyl palmitate administered to the stomach through a gastric tube. All the absorbed retinyl palmitate was not transported to the lymph duct (vas lymphaticum centrale), and a sig nificant part was incorporated and stored in mesenchymal cells in the lamin a propria mucosae at least for 1 week. These mesenchymal cells emanated aut ofluorescence of vitamin A, stored many lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, an d contained desmin and ct-smooth muscle actin, specific markers for the hep atic stellate cells. These data suggest that these mesenchymal cells are ex trahepatic stellate cells in lamina propria mucosae of the digestive tract and that these cells participate not only in the storage but also absorptio n of vitamin A.