This review focuses on currant knowledge on hepato-cyte aquaporins (AQPs) and their significance in bile formation and cholestasis. Canalicular bile secretion results from a combined interaction of several solute transporters and AQP water channels that facilitate wa-ter flow in response to the osmotic gradients created. During choleresis, hepatocytes rapidly increase their canalicular membrane water permeability by modulat-ing the abundance of AQP8. The question was raised as to whether the opposite process, i.e. a decreased canalicular AQP8 expression would contribute to the development of cholestasis. Studies in several experi-mental models of cholestasis, such as extrahepatic obstructive cholestasis, estrogen-induced cholestasis, and sepsis-induced cholestasis demonstrated that the protein expression of hepatocyte AQP8 was impaired. In addition, biophysical studies in canalicular plasma membranes revealed decreased water permeability as-sociated with AQP8 protein downregulation. The com-bined alteration in hepatocyte solute transporters and AQP8 would hamper the efficient coupling of osmotic gradients and canalicular water flow. Thus cholestasis may result from a mutual occurrence of impaired sol-ute transport and decreased water permeability.