zaro

Do liver cells have hemoglobin?

Published in Liver Hemoglobin Levels 2 mins read

Liver cells, also known as hepatocytes, do not inherently produce hemoglobin, but they can contain hemoglobin in varying concentrations, especially in diseased states.

The primary function of hemoglobin is to transport oxygen in red blood cells. Liver cells have entirely different functions related to metabolism, detoxification, and synthesis. The presence of hemoglobin in liver tissue is typically associated with conditions affecting blood flow and liver health.

Hemoglobin in Liver Tissue: Context Matters

Here's a breakdown of how hemoglobin can be found in liver tissue, incorporating information from the provided reference:

  • Normal Liver Function: Typically, healthy liver cells do not produce or contain significant amounts of hemoglobin. Their role is not oxygen transport.

  • Diseased States Impact: The reference indicates that "biological assay of human liver material shows various concentrations of hemoglobin producing material in various diseased states." This means the amount of hemoglobin found in liver tissue changes depending on the presence and type of disease.

  • Cardiac Congestion Example: Specifically, the text mentions that "cardiac congestion with red atrophy of the liver shows values (Table 21) somewhat below the human normal—94 per cent compared to 162 per cent." This implies that conditions like cardiac congestion, which impact blood flow to the liver, can influence the presence of hemoglobin in liver tissue. This change happens when normal liver function is disrupted.

  • Possible Explanations:

    • Blood Pooling: In conditions like cardiac congestion, blood can back up into the liver (red atrophy), leading to increased hemoglobin content simply because of the presence of red blood cells in the tissue.

    • Cellular Damage: Liver damage and inflammation can cause the release of hemoglobin from red blood cells and subsequent accumulation in the liver tissue.

    • Possible Compensation: The observed hemoglobin values might reflect an attempt of the damaged tissue to compensate in some way for the lack of oxygen (although this is speculative based on the given information).

In summary, while liver cells themselves do not manufacture hemoglobin, its presence in liver tissue is influenced by disease processes that disrupt normal blood flow and liver function. The reference clearly indicates that varying levels of hemoglobin can be found within liver material depending on the diseased state.