Premium
Influence of Portacaval Shunt on Bile Formation in the Rat *
Author(s) -
Prandi Danielle,
Dumont Micheline,
Erlinger Serge
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1974.tb00392.x
Subject(s) - portacaval shunt , bile acid , medicine , endocrinology , excretion , chemistry , biology , cirrhosis , portal hypertension
. Bile flow and bile acid secretion were measured in rats 21 to 28 days after a portacaval shunt and in sham‐operated and normal animals. The following results were obtained. (1) Bile flow was significantly lower (6.65±SEM 0.36 μl min ‐1 ‐100 g ‐l ) in the shunted rats than in the shamoperated animals (8.21 ± SEM 0.21 μl min ‐1 100 g ‐1 ; P < 0.01). (2) Bile acid excretion was not significantly different in the shunted rats (0.27±SEM 0.03μmol‐min ‐1 100g ‐1 ) and the sham‐operated rats (0.26±SEM 0.02 μmol‐min ‐1 ‐100 g ‐1 ; NS). (3) During bile acid infusions, there was a linear relationship between bile flow and bile acid excretion in both groups of animals. The slope of the relationship was similar, suggesting that the osmotic activity of the bile acids was not modified in the shunted animals, and the bile acid‐independent flow, estimated by the extrapolation of this relationship to a zero bile acid excretion, was significantly lower in the rats with a portacaval shunt (5.20±SEM 0.40 μ min ‐1 100 g ‐1 ) than in the sham ‐operated animals (6.50±SEM 0.30 μl min ‐1 100 g ‐1 ; P < 0.02). (4) The liver weight was significantly lower in the rats with a portacaval shunt than in the sham‐operated animals and there was a parallel decrease of liver weight (–17%) and of the bile acid‐independent flow (–22%). No difference was found between the sham‐operated rats and the normal rats. It is concluded that portacaval shunt in the rat results in a decreased bile flow, due to a decrease in the bile acid‐independent flow. Since bile acid secretion rate remained unchanged, it is suggested that the secretion of bile acids on the one hand and the bile acid‐independent flow on the other are regulated by separate mechanisms.