Metabolism and Biliary Excretion of Sulfobromophthalein by Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Abstract

The plasma half-life of sulfobromophthalein (BSP) for rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) was 13 min for doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg and 29 min for a dose of 15 mg/kg. The biliary BSP transport maximum (Tm) averaged 9.6 μg/min per kg for five fish while the blood clearance averaged 1.7 ml/min per kg for two fish. Normal bile flows of 0.87 μliter/min per kg in trout were increased upon anesthetization but were unaffected in fish allowed to recover from spinal transection. Spinal transection did not affect the plasma half-life of BSP.The data presented support the conclusion that the transport of BSP from liver cells to bile is the rate-limiting step in the excretion of this dye. When the BSP Tm of trout was compared to literature values for mammals and dogfish (Squalus acanthias), large differences were found which were probably caused by effects of different temperatures and blood flows. When the Tm values of the various species were based on blood clearance of BSP (reflecting liver blood flow) the differences were greatly reduced, suggesting similar abilities of the liver of the various species to excrete this dye.