The substrate specificity of the ileal and the hepatic Na(+)/bile acid cotransporters was determined using brush border membrane vesicles and CHO cell lines permanently expressing the Na(+)/bile acid cotransporters from rabbit ileum or rabbit liver. The hepatic transporter showed a remarkably broad specificity for interaction with cholephilic compounds in contrast to the ileal system. The anion...

Adaptation and tolerance to bile stress are important factors for the survival of bifidobacteria in the intestinal tract. Bifidobacterium animalis is a probiotic microorganism which has been largely applied in fermented dairy foods due to its technological properties and its health-promoting effects for humans. The effect of the presence of bile on the activity and expression of F(1)F(0)-ATPase...

Bile acids concentration in liver is tightly regulated to prevent cell damage. Previous studies have demonstrated that deregulation of bile acid homeostasis can lead to cholestatic liver disease. Recently, we have shown that ER-bound transcription factor Crebh is a downstream effector of hepatic Cb1r signaling pathway. In this study, we have investigated the effect of alcohol exposure on hepati...

We have examined the possibility of assessing primary bile acid pool sizes from the spillover of the bile acids into systemic blood after intestinal exposure to the total endogenous bile acid pool; the studies were carried out in 16 healthy subjects. Bile acid spillover was calculated as the integrated area under the curve of bile acid conjugates in serum of each primary bile acid class in resp...

The classical functions of bile acids include acting as detergents to facilitate the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the gut. In addition, bile acids also act as signaling molecules to regulate glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism and energy expenditure. The signaling potential of bile acids in compartments such as the systemic circulation is regulated in part by an efficient enterohe...

The ileal apical sodium bile acid cotransporter participates in the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. In patients with primary bile acid malabsorption, mutations in the ileal bile acid transporter gene (Slc10a2) lead to congenital diarrhea, steatorrhea, and reduced plasma cholesterol levels. To elucidate the quantitative role of Slc10a2 in intestinal bile acid absorption, the Slc10a2 gen...

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a master regulator of bile acid homeostasis through transcriptional regulation of genes involved in bile acid synthesis and cellular membrane transport. Impairment of bile acid efflux due to cholangiopathies results in chronic cholestasis leading to abnormal elevation of intrahepatic and systemic bile acid levels. Obeticholic acid (OCA) is a potent and selective FX...

Urine from patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) was found to contain a number of minor bile acids along with three major bile acids, 7-epicholic acid, norcholic acid, and cholic acid. The following minor bile acids were identified by combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: 7-ketobisnordeoxycholic acid; 12-ketobisnorchenodeoxycholic acid; 7-ketonordeoxycholic acid; 12...

OBJECTIVE Cholesterol metabolism is altered by chronic ethanol consumption. In previous articles, we demonstrated the anti-oxidant capacity of folic acid, which may be useful in the prevention of damage provoked by ethanol. We want to determine the effects of ethanol on cholesterol and bile metabolism and whether a folic acid-supplemented diet could change alterations provoked by a chronic etha...

Bile acid-independent secretion and the choleretic response to taurocholate were determined in rhesus monkeys fitted with indwelling silastic cannulas in the common bile ducts. Bile acids were infused intravenously in random order at 3.5, 7.0, or 10.5 mumol/min for 1.5 h each. When data were analyzed with a single regression line, bile flow increased in proportion to the level of bile acid secr...