To date, much of the adhesion work in the liver has been restricted to sinusoids and postsinusoidal venules. However, selectins have been localized on the portal (presinusoidal) venules and these vessels have been shown to be important in metastasis of tumors. The purpose of this study was to characterize the leukocyte-endothelial interactions within the 3 compartments of the hepatic microvasculature under baseline conditions and in response to tumor necrosis factor ␣ (TNF-␣). Mice deficient in P-selectin or both E-and P-selectin were compared with wild-type (C57Bl/6, wild type) mice. Animals were injected with murine TNF-␣ (15 g/kg intraperitoneally [IP]) and the liver was examined by fluorescence intravital microscopy 4 hours later. Under baseline conditions, leukocyte flux in the portal venules was 1.42 ؎ 0.42 cells/min. Leukocyte flux in the portal venules of wild-type mice increased 8-fold in response to 4 hours of TNF-␣ stimulation. This was reduced by 50% in the P-selectin-deficient mice but was not reduced further by either the addition of an E-selectin antibody (9A9, 100 g intravenously [IV]) to these mice or in mice deficient in both E-and P-selectin. In P-selectindeficient mice, the addition of an antibody against ␣ 4 -integrin (R1-2, 75 g IP) reduced rolling to baseline. But in the E-and P-double-selectin-deficient mice the addition of an antibody against L-selectin (Mel 14, 3 g/kg IV) had no effect on TNF-␣-induced recruitment. Similar responses were seen in the central venules, however, in the sinusoids the increased number of stationary leukocytes seen in response to 4 hours of TNF-␣ stimulation in the wild-type mice was not reduced in P-selectin-deficient mice with or without the ␣ 4 -integrin antibody. These data suggest that leukocytes can use ␣ 4 -integrin independent of the selectins in the venules. Within the sinusoids, however, inhibition of E-selectin, P-selectin, and ␣ 4 -integrin was insufficient to reduce leukocyte recruitment. (HEPATOLOGY 2000;31:1123-1127.)The classic paradigm of inflammatory cell recruitment is a 4-step process involving initial tethering, rolling along the endothelium, followed by firm adhesion, then emigration out of the vasculature. Although the mechanisms of leukocyteendothelial cell interactions have been well characterized for vascular beds such as the mesentery, 1 the cremaster muscle, 2 and the dermis 3 of various species these tenets appear to not hold true for organs such as the liver. 4 In the narrow, low-flow sinusoidal circulation of the liver, tethering and rolling as a requirement for firm adhesion was not dependent on selectins. 4 Mediators such as LTC 4 or endotoxin, which induced selectin-dependent rolling in numerous vascular beds, induced selectin-independent adhesion in the sinusoids. 5,6 It is unclear whether this was a result of the low shear rates and physical trapping within the liver microcirculation or the fact that the selectins are not required for leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions in the liver. One possible explanation for a lack o...