Bile Acids in Bile during Long-term Chenodeoxycholic Acid Treatment

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Abstract
Relative concentrations of conjugated and sulfated bile acids in duodenal bile were measured in 5 patients with cholesterol gallstones before and during treatment with 0.50-0.75 g of chenodeoxycholic acid/day for 3-4 mo. Lithocholic acid constituted 0.8-3.3% (mean 1.8%) of total conjugated and sulfated bile acids before and 0-5.4% (mean 2.6%) during treatment. Lithocholic acid was the predominant bile acid in the sulfate fraction in 3 patients and chenodeoxycholic acid in 2. Sulfated bile acids constituted less than 1% of total bile acids and did not increase during treatment. Ursodeoxycholic acid, the other major metabolite of chenodeoxycholic acid, was found in higher amounts during therapy. The unsaturated bile acid 3.beta.-hydroxy-.DELTA.5-cholenic acid, which was found exclusively as its sulfate ester, showed a slight fall. The average G/T [glycine/taurine] conjugation ratio rose from 2.2 to 4.5.