title: Isolated hepatocyte couplets and bile duct units--novel preparations for the in vitro study of bile secretory function.
abstract: Studies of the mechanisms of bile formation have been facilitated by the development of in-vitro models that enable the transport functions of hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells to be analyzed in isolation. Isolated hepatocyte couplets represent a primary bile secretory unit that retain secretory polarity. Isolated bile duct units are intact polarized segments of interlobular bile duct segments. Both preparations can be maintained in short term culture, respond appropriately to choleretic agonists and facilitate a variety of functional applications.
authors.affiliation: Liver Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Boyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism*; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins