Figure 3.

Cholestasis and CA induce phosphorylation of the CK intermediate filament cytoskeleton. Double-immunofluorescence microscopy was performed using the polyclonal CK antibody 50K160 against CK 8 and CK 18 and the monoclonal antibody LJ4 recognizing a phosphorylated epitope of CK 8. Overexpression of CKs after CBDL was accompanied by phosphorylation in cells surrounding bile infarcts (n) (A) and in hepatocytes in acinar zone 1 (B) (pv, portal vein). C: UDCA-fed mice showed normal architecture of the CK-IF cytoskeleton without phosphorylation. D: In contrast, CA-fed mice showed an increased density of the CK-IF network (red), particularly at the cell periphery and around bile canaliculi, accompanied by marked phosphorylation (yellow) in clusters of hepatocytes. Scale bar, 20 μm.