Endothelin-1 (ET-1) enhances bile canalicular contractions in cultured rat hepatocytes.

Time lapse cinematographic analysis revealed that the frequency of canalicular contractions in primary monolayer-cultured hepatocytes (couples and triplets) isolated from a rat liver was increased by endothelin-1 (ET-1)-treatment as compared with that of a control group. By transmission electron microscopy, vesicles were more frequently observed to be opened to the canalicular lumens during the contracting stage of the bile canaliculi in the ET-1-treated couplets and triplets than in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]