title: Intestinal absorption of bile acid glucuronides in rats.
abstract: While the intestinal absorption of taurine, glycine, and sulfate conjugates of bile acids has been studied extensively, nothing is known about the absorption of bile acid glucuronides. In the present study, the intestinal phase of the enterohepatic circulation of two bile acid glucuronides was examined. [3 beta-3H]cholic acid 3-O-beta-D-glucuronide or [3 beta-3H]lithocholic acid 3-O-beta-D-glucuronide was perfused through isolated segments of ileum or jejunum with intact blood supply in rats prepared with a biliary fistula. [14C]Taurocholic acid was perfused simultaneously with each glucuronide to compare glucuronide absorption with that of an actively transported bile acid. Intestinal absorption was determined by measuring the rate of secretion of labeled bile acid in bile. The absorption of [3H]cholic acid glucuronide by the ileum and jejunum was one fortieth and one eighth, respectively, that of [14C]taurocholic acid. Comparison of the two glucuronides show that [3H]lithocholic acid glucuronide absorption was 18 and 10 times greater than [3H]cholic acid glucuronide absorption from the jejunum and ileum, respectively. Collectively, the above observations suggest that glucuronidation of bile acids markedly reduces absorption from the small intestine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77225.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Oelberg
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Adcock
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lester
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008095:Lithocholic Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013656:Taurocholic Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002793:Cholic Acids; D005965:Glucuronates; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D008095:Lithocholic Acid; C041558:lithocholate 3-O-glucuronide; C046161:cholic acid glucuronide