title: Ontogeny of hepatobiliary secretion: role of glutathione.
abstract: The ontogeny of hepatic synthesis and biliary secretion of glutathione was characterized and correlated with hepatic gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, bile flow rate, biliary bile acids and amino acids in Sprague-Dawley rats at 18 days of gestation and postnatally at ages 7, 14, 21, 28 and 54 days. Bile was collected by bile duct cannulation under intraperitoneal anesthesia with nembutal/ketamine. Glutathione, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and bile acids were analyzed enzymatically and amino acids by high-performance liquid chromatography using established methods. Hepatic glutathione was low in the fetus, but increased to approximate adult levels by 7 days postnatally (2.77 mumol/gm liver). Hepatic gamma glutamyl transpeptidase activity, high in the fetus, declined to adult levels by day 7 (0.03 mumol/mg protein). In contrast, significant efflux of glutathione and its constituent amino acids into bile did not occur until weaning (21 days of age). During weaning, there was a fivefold increase in the biliary glutathione and with a twofold increase in bile flow rate. Biliary bile acids concentration remained constant throughout development, with only a 30% to 50% increase in its secretion rate. The data suggest that the developmentally related increase in bile flow rate was principally a result of the increase in bile acid independent flow from 1.1 microliters/(min.100 gm body wt) in the suckling to 4.3 microliters/(min.100 gm body wt) in the post-weanling animal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine 19104.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D005978:Glutathione