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Updated: Jun 27, 2025

Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Age-Dependent Differences in Postprandial Bile-Acid Metabolism and the Role of the Gut Microbiome
Soumia Majait1, Emma C E Meessen2, Mark Davids3
1Department of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy, Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Ageing changes the impact of nutrition, whereby inflammation has been suggested to play a role in age-related disabilities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in postprandial bile-acid response and its effect on energy metabolism between young and elderly people. Nine young, healthy men and nine elderly, healthy men underwent a liquid mixed-meal test. Postprandial bile-acid levels, insulin, glucose, GLP-1, C4, FGF19 and lipids were measured. Appetite, body composition, energy expenditure and gut microbiome were also measured. The elderly population showed lower glycine conjugated CDCA and UDCA levels and higher abundances of Ruminiclostridium, Marvinbryantia and Catenibacterium, but lower food intake, decreased fat free mass and increased cholesterol levels. Aging is associated with changes in postprandial bile-acid composition and microbiome, diminished hunger and changes in body composition and lipid levels. Further studies are needed to determine if these changes may contribute to malnutrition and sarcopenia in elderly.
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