Intestinal bile acid physiology and pathophysiology.
Bile acids (BAs) have a long established role in fat digestion in the intestine by acting as tensioactives, due to their amphipatic characteristics. BAs are reabsorbed very efficiently by the intestinal epithelium and recycled back to the liver via transport mechanisms that have been largely elucidated. The transport and synthesis of BAs are tightly regulated in part by specific plasma membrane receptors and nuclear receptors. In addition to their primary effect, BAs have been claimed to play a role in gastrointestinal cancer, intestinal inflammation and intestinal ionic transport. BAs are not equivalent in any of these biological activities, and structural requirements have been generally identified. In particular, some BAs may be useful for cancer chemoprevention and perhaps in inflammatory bowel disease, although further research is necessary in this field. This review covers the most recent developments in these aspects of BA intestinal biology.
Department of Pharmacology, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
Olga
O
Martinez-Augustin
Fermin
F
Sanchez de Medina
D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004751:Enteritis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004764:Enterohepatic Circulation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D017136:Ion Transport; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C037643:bile acid binding proteins