Pancreatobiliary and biliary control of fecal beta-glucuronidase activity in the rat

Bile duct ligation experiments suggest that bile is an important regulator of intestinal beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme thought to be involved in colon carcinogenesis. Exclusion of pancreatobiliary secretions from the rat intestine significantly decreases glucuronidase activity (Roberton et al., Cancer Res., 42 (1982) 5165-5166). However, the separate roles of pancreatic and biliary secretions have not been examined. We ligated the bile ducts of rats at the hepatic duct, allowing pancreatic juice but not bile to enter the intestine, or at the Sphincter of Oddi, excluding pancreatic juice as well as bile. Fecal beta-glucuronidase activity was lowered in both cases, indicating that bile itself, and not pancreatic juice, is a major factor modulating beta-glucuronidase activity.