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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

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Published on: March 10, 2015
Colonic transit influences deoxycholic acid kinetics.
M J Veysey1, L A Thomas, A I Mallet
1Gastroenterology Unit, Guy's Hospital Campus, London, England, UK.
Octreotide treatment prolongs intestinal transit time, increasing deoxycholic acid (DCA) and decreasing cholic acid (CA) levels. This supports DCA
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Endocrinology
- Bile Acid Metabolism
Background:
- Prolonged large bowel transit and increased deoxycholic acid (DCA) are linked to cholesterol gallstone formation.
- Acromegaly patients on octreotide may develop gallstones, but the role of intestinal transit in bile acid kinetics is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of intestinal transit time on bile acid kinetics, specifically deoxycholic acid (DCA) and cholic acid (CA).
- To examine the effects of octreotide on bile acid metabolism and its relation to gallstone pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Stable isotope-labeled DCA and CA kinetics were measured using mass spectrometry.
- Mouth-to-caecum transit time (MCTT) and large bowel transit time (LBTT) were assessed in controls, acromegalics (untreated and octreotide-treated), and constipated patients.
- Paired studies before and during octreotide treatment were conducted in acromegalic patients.
Main Results:
- Octreotide significantly prolonged MCTT and LBTT.
- Prolonged LBTT during octreotide treatment increased DCA input rate and pool size, while decreasing CA pool size.
- Increased conversion of CA to DCA and positive correlations between LBTT and DCA levels were observed.
Conclusions:
- Prolongation of large bowel transit by octreotide increases DCA formation and absorption.
- These changes in bile acid kinetics support the hypothesis that prolonged transit is a pathogenic factor in octreotide-induced gallstones.
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