Hepatic stellate cell lipid droplets: a specialized lipid droplet for retinoid storage.

The majority of retinoid (vitamin A and its metabolites) present in the body of a healthy vertebrate is contained within lipid droplets present in the cytoplasm of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Two types of lipid droplets have been identified through histological analysis of HSCs within the liver: smaller droplets bounded by a unit membrane and larger membrane-free droplets. Dietary retinoid intake but not triglyceride intake markedly influences the number and size of HSC lipid droplets.