Influence of cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid on biliary cholesterol secretion in man

Abstract

Interrelationships between biliary bile acid, lecithin and cholesterol secretion rates were studied during depletion of the bile acid pool and during duodenal administration of cholic or chenodeoxycholic acid in 13 patients 7-12 days after operation for uncomplicated gallstone disease. Mean lecithin secretion rate was significantly higher during cholic acid than during chenodeoxycholic acid infusion. The relationship between bile acid and cholesterol secretion rates was curvilinear, y = x/(a + bx) during bile acid pool depletion and during duodenal cholic acid infusion. At low bile acid secretion rates, during bile acid pool depletion and during cholic acid infusion, the lecithin secretion rate was significantly correlated to the cholesterol secretion rate. Bile acid and cholesterol secretion rates were not significantly correlated during chenodeoxycholic acid infusion. A significant curvilinear relationship between lecithin and cholesterol secretion rates was found. The hepatic bile became unsaturated in cholesterol at significantly lower bile acid secretion rate during chenodeoxycholic acid infusion (10.7 .+-. 0.3 .mu.mol min-1) than during cholic acid infusion (15.6 .+-. 0.5 .mu.mol min-1).