Short-term regulation of canalicular transport.

On a short term basis, canalicular secretion is under control of the hepatocellular hydration state, substrates, cytokines, toxins, and hormones. Regulation occurs at the level of substrate availability, covalent modification of transporters, and their regulated exocytic insertion into or endocytic retrieval from the membrane. A variety of signal transduction pathways involving the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, protein kinases A and C, participates in these processes. However, much has still to be learned about the crosstalk of different signaling systems and their molecular targets that determine the outcome for canalicular secretion.