Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Bile Duct Ligation in Mice: Induction of Inflammatory Liver Injury and Fibrosis by Obstructive Cholestasis
Published on: February 10, 2015
Bilirubin inhibits bile acid induced apoptosis in rat hepatocytes
Background And Aims:
Hydrophobic bile acids contribute to hepatocellular injury in cholestasis and rapidly induce apoptosis in vitro; however, unlike Fas agonists, cholestasis does not cause extensive hepatocyte apoptosis. As antioxidants provide protection against bile acid induced liver injury, our premise was that bilirubin, a free radical scavenger with increased plasma levels in the presence of liver disease, could protect hepatocytes against bile acid induced apoptosis.
Methods:
Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated for four hours with 100 micromol/l glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC) alone or with increasing concentrations of unconjugated (UCB) or conjugated (CB) bilirubin.
Results:
Both UCB and CB inhibited GCDC induced apoptosis in a dose dependent fashion and suppressed the generation of reactive oxygen species by hepatocytes.
Conclusions:
The antiapoptotic effect of bilirubin associated with its antioxidant properties indicates that hyperbilirubinaemia may have a protective role in liver disease.
