Question

Vitamin A is stored in which of the following cells?

• A. Cells of Ito
• B. Hepatocyte
• C. Endothelial cell
• D. Kupffer cell

Hint:

Think of the fat-storing cell sitting in the space of Disse.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: The question asks where vitamin A is principally stored in the body. The major reservoir is in the liver, but within a specific cell type.
Step 2: Hepatic stellate cells, also called cells of Ito, lipocytes or fat-storing cells, lie in the space of Disse between hepatocytes and the sinusoidal endothelial cells.
Step 3: These Ito cells store 50-80% of the total body vitamin A as retinyl palmitate within cytoplasmic lipid droplets, making option (a) correct.
Step 4: Hepatocytes carry out metabolism and Kupffer cells are resident macrophages, while endothelial cells line the sinusoids - none of these are the vitamin A storage site, so options (b), (c) and (d) are wrong.