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Updated: Sep 1, 2025

In vivo Liver Endocytosis Followed by Purification of Liver Cells by Liver Perfusion
Published on: November 10, 2011
Connexin-Based Channels in the Liver
Raf Van Campenhout1, Kaat Leroy1, Axelle Cooreman1
1Entity of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences , Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Connexin proteins oligomerize in hexameric structures called connexin hemichannels, which then dock to form gap junctions. Gap junctions direct cell-cell communication by allowing the exchange of small molecules and ions between neighboring cells. In this way, hepatic gap junctions support liver homeostasis. Besides serving as building blocks for gap junctions, connexin hemichannels provide a pathway between the intracellular and the extracellular environment. The activation of connexin hemichannels is associated with acute and chronic liver pathologies. This article discusses the role of gap junctions and connexin hemichannels in the liver. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:1-17, 2022.
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