The Cholangiocyte Glycocalyx Stabilizes the ‘Biliary HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> Umbrella': An Integrated Line of Defense against Toxic Bile Acids

Destruction of cholangiocytes is the hallmark of chronic cholangiopathies such as primary biliary cirrhosis. Under physiologic conditions, cholangiocytes display a striking resistance to the high, millimolar concentrations of toxic bile salts present in bile. We recently showed that a 'biliary HCO3(-) umbrella', i.e. apical cholangiocellular HCO3(-) secretion, prevents cholangiotoxicity of bile acids, and speculated on a role for extracellular...