title: Bile salt malabsorption in the radiation syndrome.
abstract: The fraction of faecal activity (FBS) excreted after intravenous administration of 14C-labelled cholic acid was measured in 20 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea, abdominal pains, malabsorption and rectal haemorrhage) after pelvic irradiation. An FBS excretion of 52 +/- 16 per cent (mean +/- SD) was found in 13 patients with diarrhoea and 18 +/- 12 per cent in 7 patients without diarrhoea. In normals the excretion is not above 18 per cent. Bile salt malabsorption appears to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea in these patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002793:Cholic Acids