Stereology of the Liver in Three Species of Leontopithecus (Lesson, 1840) Callitrichidae – Primates.

Studies on liver morphology and stereology are relevant to the comparative anatomical and pathological research. They also facilitate the use of non-human primates in basic research, which has substantially supported studies in human medicine. Quantitative studies of liver structures have also been more extensive in Old World primates and other vertebrates. Twenty-three livers of adult lion tamarins were studied (six Leontopithecus rosalia, seven Leontopithecus chrysomelas, and 10 Leontopithecus chrysopygus), dissected, and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. For stereological quantification, the liver was regarded as consisting of parenchyma (hepatocytes) and stroma (non-hepatocytes). The volume density ( Vv) was determined by point counting, and the disector method was used to obtain the numerical density of hepatocytes ( Nv). Hepatic stereological differences among the three species of lion tamarins were not statistically significant. Therefore, the pooled Vv[hepatocyte] and Vv[stroma] could be determined as 96.2 and 7.4%, respectively, and Nv[hepatocyte] as 500.33 × 106 cm−3 . Significantly different, the values found for Vv[hepatocyte] and Nv[hepatocyte] in lion tamarins were, respectively, 0.09 and 2.8 times greater than those in baboons, and 0.17 and 3.8 times greater than those in man. However, the Vv[stroma] was 1.04 times smaller than that in baboons and 1.79 times smaller than that in man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]