Published online Jun 14, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i22.3481
Revised: February 10, 2006
Accepted: February 18, 2006
Published online: June 14, 2006
It is remarkable that microarray technologies have nearly reached a pinnacle. Establishment of further analysis and management of enormous data derived from microarray technology is currently the highest priority. The heterogeneous functions of cholangiocytes regulate the pathophysiology of the biliary epithelium in relation to secretory, proliferative and apoptotic activities. Distinct expression profiles of two murine cholangiocyte lines, termed small and large have been revealed by microarray analysis. The features of the two cholangiocyte cell lines, categorized partly according to gene ontology, indicate the specific physiological role of each cell line. The large cholangiocytes are characterized as “transport” and “immune/ inflammatory responses”. In contrast, small cholangiocytes are associated with properties of limited physiological functional ability and proliferating/migrating potential with specific molecules like Eph receptors, comparable to mesenchymal cells. 'Omic study will be of great help in understanding the heterogeneity of cholangiocytes.