title: The relation of impaired vitamin A and E tolerance to fat absorption in biliary diversion.
abstract: Eleven patients have been studied after cholecystectomy with exploration of the common bile duct (CBD) and insertion of a T tube for free biliary drainage. Prior to clamping the T tube no significant rise was seen above fasting serum vitamin A and E, or serum triglyceride levels after 6 of the patients had been given these substances in a liquid test meal. In addition no rise in fasting vitamin E levels was seen after 3 subjects had been loaded for 4 days with 0.5 g DL alpha-tocopherol acetate/day. Faecal fat collections performed on 9 subjects indicated that over 70% of the ingested fat was absorbed. All these findings returned to normal when the T tube was clamped and the intraluminal flow of bile re-established. We conclude that deficiency of bile may allow the absorption of fat in the absence of fat soluble vitamins.
mesh_terms: D001646:Bile / Q000502:physiology*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000378:metabolism; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E