Preliminary exploration of architecture of human hepatic functional unit

Objective To construct a three-dimensional of human hepatic functional unit through digital technology, and study its 3D shape and spatial adjoining relationship in order to understand the construction law of hepatic functional unit hepatic lobule cells. Methods We selected human hepatic lobule tissue, and used conventional paraffin serial sections, HE staining technology and microscope scanning to obtain hepatic lobule section in 4-μm thickness. We employed Photoshop software for image registration and used AMIRA software 2019.1 version for 3D reconstruction of hepatic functional unit which include hepatic lobule. Lobular contours, hepatic sinusoids, hepatocyte cords, central veins, interlobular arteries, veins and bile ducts were measured and studied for the tissue morphological parameters. Results A 3D digital model of the hepatic functional unit was reconstructed, and we founded that the contour of the hepatic lobule was irregularly round and blunt polygon structure with different edge lengths. The maximu