Biliary wound healing, ductular reactions, and IL-6/gp130 signaling in the development of liver disease

Figure 1 Diagram of the extra-hepatic and large intra-hepatic bile ducts highlighting some important anatomic and physiologic considerations that can potentially impact wound healing. Except for the peribiliary glands and some features of the BEC, small intra-hepatic bile ducts have a similar anatomy. All of the bile ducts, including the small intra-hepatic bile ducts are supplied only by the hepatic artery and the peribiliary vascular plexus, shown in red. All bile ducts also contain either smooth muscle cells and/or facultative myofibroblasts in their wall. Deep wounds to the biliary tree result in activation and/or transformation of myofibroblasts that greatly increase the risk of wound contraction, fibrosis, and stricture formation.