Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
08:42
Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Altered Bile Acid Transport in Liver Disease
Sarah Cayton1, Lindsay C Czuba1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Biomedicines
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Bile acid transporters are crucial for liver health and lipid metabolism. Dysregulation of these transporters contributes to liver disease, suggesting therapeutic potential in restoring their function.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Hepatology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Bile acids, synthesized from cholesterol, are vital for digestion and act as endocrine hormones.
- They undergo enterohepatic circulation, interacting with transporter proteins.
- Altered bile acid transport is implicated in liver disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key findings on bile acid transport expression and activity in liver disease.
- To summarize how bile acid transport influences liver disease development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review using PubMed and relevant search terms.
- Inclusion of peer-reviewed studies on bile acid transporters and liver disease.
Main Results:
- Key bile acid and xenobiotic transporters in the enterohepatic circulation are dysregulated in liver disease.
- Changes in transporter expression are cell- and disease-specific.
- Bile acid signaling influences transporter regulation, with a need for more research on post-translational modifications.
Conclusions:
- Bile acid transporters are dynamically regulated across various liver diseases.
- Restoring bile acid transporter function offers a potential therapeutic strategy for liver disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess the...
01:14Hepatic Drug Clearance: Role of Transporters
In the liver and bile canaliculi, influx and efflux transporters modification can influence intrinsic clearance. Transporters play a significant role in moving drugs within liver cells. Elaborate models, such as the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS), are essential to relate transporters to drug disposition. This system categorizes drugs into four classes based on solubility and permeability, providing insights into elimination routes and the effects of transporters following oral...
01:26Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Chronic liver disease significantly impacts drug metabolism due to alterations in hepatic blood flow and enzyme accessibility. This disruption affects the body's pharmacokinetics—the movement and processing of drugs within the system. Key enzymes crucial for metabolizing medications become less accessible, changing how drugs are processed and utilized. Furthermore, liver disease influences the synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin and globulins, which play critical roles in drug binding...
01:16Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors
The biliary system of the liver, crucial for bile secretion and drug excretion, comprises intrahepatic bile ducts that merge to form the common hepatic duct. This duct, carrying hepatic bile, combines with the cystic duct, draining the gallbladder and forming the common bile duct, which empties into the duodenum. Bile, produced by hepatic cells lining the bile canaliculi, is composed primarily of water, bile salts, pigments, electrolytes, and lesser amounts of cholesterol and fatty acids. Bile...
01:19Bile
Bile is a crucial bodily fluid, characterized by its yellow-green color and alkaline nature. Produced in the liver, it is transported through the common hepatic duct into either the cystic duct, leading to the gallbladder, or directly into the common bile duct. The flow of bile is regulated by the sphincter of Oddi located at the entrance of the duodenum. When this sphincter is closed, bile is redirected to the gallbladder for storage and concentration.
Bile is released when dietary fats enter...
Bile is released when dietary fats enter...
01:17Hepatic Drug Excretion: Enterohepatic Cycling
Enterohepatic cycling involves the active secretion of drugs and their metabolites into the bile via transporters in the canalicular membrane of hepatocytes. This secretion is an integral part of the digestive process, releasing these substances into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Post-release drugs and metabolites can be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. For conjugated metabolites like glucuronides, reabsorption requires enzymatic hydrolysis by intestinal microflora. This...
Post-release drugs and metabolites can be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. For conjugated metabolites like glucuronides, reabsorption requires enzymatic hydrolysis by intestinal microflora. This...