Calcium signaling and the secretory activity of bile duct epithelia

Cytosolic calcium (Cai(2+)) is a second messenger that is important for the regulation of secretion in many types of tissues. Bile duct epithelial cells, or cholangiocytes, are polarized epithelia that line the biliary tree in liver and are responsible for secretion of bicarbonate and other solutes into bile. Cai(2+) signaling plays an important role in the regulation of secretion by cholangiocytes, and this review discusses the machinery involved in the formation of Ca(2+) signals in cholangiocytes, along with the evidence that these signals regulate ductular secretion. Finally, this review discusses the evidence that impairments in cholangiocyte Ca(2+) signaling play a primary role in the pathogenesis of cholestatic disorders, in which hepatic bile secretion is impaired.