ABSTRACT
Cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells that line the intrahepatic bile ducts, express water channel proteins [i.e., aquaporins (AQPs)], which are increasingly recognized to be important in ductal bile formation. In this chapter we focus on AQPs expressed in cholangiocytes, their topography and function within these cells, the mechanisms by which they are regulated, and the physiologic and pathophysiologic relevance of AQP-mediated water transport in biliary epithelia.
