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Bile Salt Metabolism:I. The Physiology of Bile Salts
Author(s) -
Wen A. E. Co,
Campbell C. B.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1977.tb02312.x
Subject(s) - taurine , bile acid , metabolism , cholesterol , medicine , reabsorption , chenodeoxycholic acid , cholic acid , chemistry , lithocholic acid , biochemistry , endocrinology , amino acid , kidney
Summary Bile salt metabolism. I. The physiology of bile salts. A. E. Cowen and C. B. Campbell, Aust. N.Z. J. Med. , 1977, 7, pp. 579–586. Bile salts are synthesized in the liver from cholesterol, conjugated with glycine or taurine and secreted in bile with cholesterol and lecithin. The molar concentrations of these three lipids determine solubility of cholesterol in bile. Within the gastrointestinal lumen bile salts play an essential role in lipid absorption and fat transport. An efficient entero‐hepatic circulation maintains hepatic bile salt secretion and provides a “feed‐back” control of bile salt and cholesterol metabolism. Potentially hepatotoxic lithocholic acid formed in the intestinal lumen by bacterial action on chenodeoxycholic acid is sulphated in the liver thus decreasing intestinal reabsorption. The total faecal excretion of bile salts balances hepatic synthesis and represents a major catabo/ic path in cholesterol metabolism.