Some factors affecting the entero-hepatic circulation and metabolism of bile acids in patients and in experimental animals

Abstract

For many years the application of incomplete information to bile acid metabolism, in experimental animals and in clinical problems, has yielded erroneous results. More recently the use of isotopes and chromatogra .hic separation technicues has allowed considerable progress to be made in this branch of steroid chemistry.In our laboratory we have used such a chromatographic separation technique for quantitative analysis and thin layer chromatography for cualitative analysis of bile acids in serum, intestinal contents, urine and bile. The trihydroxy bile acid.pool is principally in the small intestine and the large intestine containsmuch of the dihydroxy bile acid pool. The rapid fluctuations in the serum trihydroxy acids is a function of the absorptive powers of the small intestine, the less dramatic changes in the serum dihydroxy bile acids being a consequence of the slower rate of absorption from the caecum.These variations are well demonstrated in experimental obstructive jaundice and in r,atients with liver diseases. .here still further metLbolic chanf7es occur as in diabetes mellitus, abnormal vari- atiars may be investigated and our present work is continuing along these lines.