Demonstration of Albumin Receptors Onisolated Human Hepatocytes by Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy

The presence of albumin receptors on the plasma membrane of isolated human hepatocytes was investigated employing albumin-coupled latex minibeads. Hepatocyte-latex reaction was visualized by phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. The experiments demonstrate that hepatocytes exhibit binding activity for polymeric and monomeric forms of glutaraldehyde-treated albumin. Additionally, the reaction was shown to be species-nonspecific. These findings support the hypothesis that polymerized albumin may act as a bridge between receptors on hepatitis B virus and human hepatocytes.