RESUMO
Objective To observe the morphological and distribution feature of nestin-positive cells in liver during various stages of human fetal development.Methods 10-20 weeks old fetal liver tissues were obtained and fixed for paraffin sections as usual.Digoxigenin-labeled oligo-DNA probe was used for detect nestin by means of in situ hybridization histochemistry(ISHH).Results Nestin-positive cells are small,spherical cells with a large nucleus and sometimes a dual nuclei,and distribute mainly in limiting plate and surround the developing bile duct.Conclusion There are some nestin-positive cells in the liver.They can divide and proliferate and may be a group of cells hided in various tissues during development,which have the same function.They may play an important role in hepatocyte injure repair and tumor occur during the later days.