EFFECT OF ACUTE ALTERATIONS IN SMALL BOWEL TRANSIT-TIME UPON THE BILIARY-EXCRETION RATE OF BILE-ACIDS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 76  (3) , 568-574
Abstract
The rate of biliary bile acid excretion is a product of bile acid pool size and enterohepatic cycling frequency. Cycling frequency, in turn, is determined by the time necessary for bile acid to travel from the ampulla of Vater to its small bowel absorptive site, from its absorptive site to the liver, and from the liver to the duodenum. In 10 subjects receiving constant intraduodenal infusion of an isocaloric formula containing the nonabsorbable markers polyethylene glycol and .beta.-sitosterol, small intestinal transit time was altered and the effect upon biliary bile acid excretion rate was measured. Sorbitol (15% formula) shortened transit time by 38% and increased hourly bile acid excretion rate by 31%. Atropine (0.04 mg i.m. every 2 h) increased transit time by 38% and decreased hourly bile acid excretion rate by 38%. Biliary excretion rates of cholesterol and of bilirubin, substances excreted in bile but not subject to enterohepatic circulation, did not change with changes in transit time. Sorbitol and atropine may not act upon the biliary limb of the enterohepatic circulation but rather on the intestinal limb. Small bowel transit time may be a major determinant of enterohepatic cycling frequency.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: