title: Lymphatic transport of bile acids in man.
abstract: The possibility of a lymphatic transport of bile acids in man was investigated. Four patients were studied 2-4 weeks after renal transplantation. As a part of the postoperative immunosuppressive treatment they all had a thoracic duct fistula for lymphatic drainage. After a standardized meal, lymph and peripheral blood samples were simultaneously collected at 30-minute intervals for 210 minutes. The bile acids, cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and deoxycholic acid were assayed by a gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method using deuterium-labeled internal standards. The concentration of cholic acid was about the same in lymph and serum. The concentrations of chenodeoxycholic and deoxycholic acids were 2-3 times higher in lymph than in serum, both in the fasting state and postprandially. These results are explained by a more efficient passive absorption of the less polar dihydroxy bile acids. The transport of bile acids in the lymph was calculated to be only about 0.2% of that in the portal vein.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D005215:Fasting; D006801:Humans; D008196:Lymph / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides