title: Effect of coprophagy on bile acid metabolism in the rabbit.
abstract: The effect of coprophagy on the 7 alpha-dehydroxylation of biliary bile acids was studied in the rabbit. Bile acid composition of bile and intestinal contents was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography. Biliary bile acid composition of normal rabbits (n = 5) was: deoxycholic acid, 95.3 +/- 1.0SE % and cholic acid, 2.3 +/- 1.1SE %. When coprophagy was prevented, significant alterations were observed in biliary bile acid composition, including a considerable decrease in deoxycholic acid (82.5 +/- 2.8SE %, p less than 0.01) and a marked increase in cholic acid (15.2 +/- 3.0SE %, p less than 0.002). These results indicate that coprophagy is a factor causing an increase of the 7 alpha-dehydroxylated bile acid, deoxycholic acid (and lithocholic acid when the animals were fed chenodeoxycholic acid) in rabbit bile.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis*; D001835:Body Weight; D002432:Cecum; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D003303:Coprophagia / Q000378:metabolism*; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D004435:Eating; D006801:Humans; D008095:Lithocholic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002793:Cholic Acids; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid; D008095:Lithocholic Acid