Macrophage galactose lectin is critical for Kupffer cells to clear aged platelets.

Every day, megakaryocytes produce billions of platelets that circulate for several days and eventually are cleared by the liver. The exact removal mechanism, however, remains unclear. Loss of sialic acid residues is thought to feature in the aging and clearance of platelets.

Peritoneal GATA6+ macrophages function as a portal for Staphylococcus aureus dissemination.

Essentially all Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria that gain access to the circulation are plucked out of the bloodstream by the intravascular macrophages of the liver - the Kupffer cells. It is also thought that these bacteria are disseminated via the bloodstream to other organs.