Sugar absorption by the biliary ductular epithelium of the rat: evidence for two transport systems

Sugar absorption by the biliary ductular epithelium under steady-state conditions was examined using isolated perfused rat liver. The test sugar and mannitol (as a putative marker of paracellular entry) were added to the glucose-free recirculating perfusate each at a concentration of 5 mmol/L, and apparent active biliary ductular absorption equated with the change in concentration of the test sugar relative to that of mannitol. A metabolizable hexose (D-glucose), pentose (D-xylose), and three nonmetabolizable hexoses (alpha-methyl-glucoside, 3-o-methyl-glucose, and L-glucose) were used. All five monosaccharides were well absorbed at constant rates for 2 hours with apparent rates of absorption (mumol.kg body weight-1.min-1, mean +/- SE) of D-glucose, 0.24 +/- 0.01; L-glucose, 0.20 +/- 0.02; 3-o-methyl-glucose, 0.19 +/- 0.02; alpha-methyl-glucoside, 0.16 +/- 0.03; and D-xylose, 0.10 +/- 0.04. The addition of phloridzin to the perfusate inhibited D-glucose absorption in part but did not inhibit L-glucose absorption. When perfusate Na+ was replaced by N-methylglucamine, the bile-plasma ratio of mannitol remained unchanged, as did the apparent absorption rate of D-glucose and 3-o-methyl-glucose. In contrast, absorption of L-glucose and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside gradually ceased. The addition of 15 mmol/L glucose to the perfusate caused decreased bile flow and increased taurocholate concentration in bile, suggesting that glucose absorption by the biliary ductules induced water reabsorption. It is concluded that sugars are absorbed by the biliary ductular system by Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent transport systems, the substrate affinities of which differ from those reported for apical membrane hexose transport systems in renal tubular and intestinal epithelia. Ductular absorption of solutes such as glucose that enter bile passively may have biological use, because ductular absorption decreases the concentration of substrates for bacterial growth in gallbladder bile. On the other hand, ductular absorption of solutes induces reabsorption of biliary water, resulting in decreased bile flow; this might contribute to cholestasis during prolonged hyperalimentation with solutions containing glucose.