title: Bile pigment formation and excretion in the rabbit.
abstract: Bile and plasma levels of biliverdin and bilirubin, together with the hepatic biliverdin reductase and bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyl transferase activities, were studied in the rabbit. No biliverdin could be detected in the blood plasma. The bilirubin concentration in blood was 7.81 +/- 0.79 mumol/l. Biliverdin was the predominant pigment in bile (63%). Hepatic biliverdin reductase activity was 0.086 +/- 0.016 nmol/mg protein/hr. The synthesis of bilirubin was apparently limited by the enzyme activity. Most of the bilirubin in bile was conjugated (90%) with monoconjugates predominating (75%). Hepatic UDP-glucuronosyl transferase activity was 2.65 +/- 0.18 and 1.14 +/- 0.16 mumol/mg protein/hr with and without activation, respectively.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D001664:Biliverdine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: C019787:bilirubin glucuronoside glucuronosyltransferase; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; C019789:biliverdin reductase; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D001664:Biliverdine; D001663:Bilirubin