Neonatal cholestasis: developmental aspects and current concepts.
Cholestatic disorders in infancy present the pediatric gastroenterologist, clinical investigator, and basic scientist with a unique model to probe the interfaces between the development and expression of essential functional elements in the liver and the extrauterine environment. This article has addressed some of the developmental features that define the process of bile formation in the neonate. Specific areas that limit effective maintenance of the extrahepatic circulation or interrupt the transition from an intrauterine to an extrauterine environment, including infectious diseases or metabolic disorders, have been identified. One may anticipate that a greater understanding of those features that are central to the processes of hepatic regeneration, the structural organization of the liver, and the mechanisms of hepatic injury will continue to make this an exciting area of investigation.
Watkins
J B
JB
Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
D000328:Adult; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004764:Enterohepatic Circulation; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts