cholangiocyte
Sign in to saveAlso known as biliary epithelial cell, BECs, bile duct epithelial cell, epithelial cell of bile duct, cholangiocytes
Cholangiocytes are the epithelial cells of the bile duct. They are cuboidal epithelium in the small interlobular bile ducts, but become columnar and carbonate-secreting in larger bile ducts approaching the porta hepatis and the extrahepatic ducts. They contribute to hepatocyte survival by transporting bile acids.
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Encyclopedic overview
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- Function
- Clinical significance
- Research
- References
Cholangiocytes are the epithelial cells of the bile duct. They are cuboidal epithelium in the small interlobular bile ducts, but become columnar and carbonate-secreting in larger bile ducts approaching the porta hepatis and the extrahepatic ducts. They contribute to hepatocyte survival by transporting bile acids.
==Function== In the healthy liver, cholangiocytes contribute to bile secretion via release of bicarbonate and water. Several hormones and locally acting mediators are known to contribute to cholangiocyte fluid/electrolyte secretion. These include secretin, acetylcholine, ATP, and bombesin.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “cholangiocyte” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.