title: Mechanisms of bile secretion: insights from the isolated rat hepatocyte couplet.
abstract: This article reviews recent studies that have characterized the isolated rat hepatocyte couplet as a primary unit of canalicular bile formation. This cell culture system is proving to be particularly useful for identifying primary canalicular choleretics and for elucidating mechanisms of canalicular bile formation by electrophysiologic, fluorescent, and quantitative microscopic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase