title: Recent advances in the morphological and functional heterogeneity of the biliary epithelium.
abstract: This review focuses on the recent advances related to the heterogeneity of different-sized bile ducts with regard to the morphological and phenotypical characteristics, and the differential secretory, apoptotic and proliferative responses of small and large cholangiocytes to gastrointestinal hormones/peptides, neuropeptides and toxins. We describe several in vivo and in vitro models used for evaluating biliary heterogeneity. Subsequently, we discuss the heterogeneous proliferative and apoptotic responses of small and large cholangiocytes to liver injury and the mechanisms regulating the differentiation of small into large (more differentiated) cholangiocytes. Following a discussion on the heterogeneity of stem/progenitor cells in the biliary epithelium, we outline the heterogeneity of bile ducts in human cholangiopathies. After a summary section, we discuss the future perspectives that will further advance the field of the functional heterogeneity of the biliary epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division Gastroenterology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Yuyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Fanyin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzioni
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alvaro
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Venter
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carpino
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Onori
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaudio
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alpini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franchitto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D009479:Neuropeptides
keywords: Bile ducts; VEGF; cAMP; gastrointestinal hormones; growth factors; neurotransmitters