Bile salt-associated electrolyte secretion. A study following a short-term biliary obstruction in the rat

The mechanisms involved in bile salt-induced choleresis are poorly known. To give an insight in this physiological process, bile salt-associated electrolyte secretion was studied following relief of a short-term (2h) biliary obstruction in the rat, an experimental model that shows an important diminution of bile salt choleretic efficiency. For this purpose, biliary excretion of total bile salts and electrolytes (sodium, chloride and bicarbonate) were studied in such a model during taurocholate infusion at increasing rates. The results showed that bile flow, bile salt output and electrolyte secretion stimulated by taurocholate administration were decreased in the rats that were subjected to biliary obstruction. Besides, the choleretic efficiency of the excreted bile salts, as estimated by the slope of the regression line of bile flow vs. bile salt output, was diminished by 46% (p < 0.005). Multiple regression analysis of bile flow vs. bile salt and electrolyte outputs allowed to detect a selective diminution of the fraction of bile flow related to bile salt-associated electrolyte secretion ("secretory fraction" of the choleretic efficiency of bile salts) (3.2 +/- 0.3 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.2 L/mol, p < 0.05) whereas the "osmotic fraction" of the choleretic efficiency of bile salts was not modified by the treatment (5.0 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.1 +/- 0.3 L/mol, p > 0.05). Since both chloride and bicarbonate biliary concentrations in the volume of bile stimulated by taurocholate were reduced by 53% and 52% respectively, a role of these anions in the generation of bile salt-induced choleresis was suggested. Possible mechanisms involved in such a process and in its early impairment during cholestasis are discussed.