title: Does folinic acid have a choleretic effect on humans?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to clarify whether folinic acid has any choleretic effect in humans, as observed by Kajiyama et al. in both clinical and experimental studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The choleretic effect of folinic acid was analyzed prospectively in a subgroup of patients who had external biliary catheters with periampullary tumors causing complete biliary obstruction. Folinic acid (50mg/day) was administered twice with a 24-hour interval between each dose. Daily bile volume was then recorded on the three consecutive days following the first dose of folinic acid. Mean bile flows (basal output=mean bile volume of four days) before and after (fifth, sixth and seventh days) the initiation of folinic acid administration were then compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean bile volumes were determined as baseline output: 669.20+/-235.18, 5th day=: 668.63+/-235.26, sixth day: 670.45+/-235.08, and seventh day: 670.00+/-235.11. No significant difference in daily bile volumes before and after folinic acid administration was detected (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No choleretic effect of intravenous folinic acid administration was observed in this prospective clinical study. This finding was contrary to our previous study on this subject.
authors: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. fezaykar@yahoo.com
authors: Feza Y
authors: FY
authors: Karakayali
authors: Sancar
authors: S
authors: Bayar
authors: Selçuk
authors: S
authors: Hazinedaroğlu
authors: Fevzi
authors: F
authors: Sahin
authors: Kaan
authors: K
authors: Karayalçin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D002955:Leucovorin