Morphological disruption of colonic mucosa by free or cholestyramine-bound bile acids

In order to assess the effects of free or resin-bound bile acids on colonic topography, adult rats were surgically provided with an indwelling infusion catheter in the proximal cecum, which exited at the neck behind the head. Conscious, unrestrained rats were allowed chow ad libitum and were administered 1 ml of an infusion mixture twice daily for five days. The infusion mixtures included either carrier saline, 100 mg cholestyramine, 165 mumol mixed bile acids, or the bile acids bound to cholestyramine. Additional groups of rats were fed defined diets with and without 2% cholestyramine. Compared to fed controls, colonic infusions of saline had little effect on colon topography. Infusions of 100 mg of cholestyramine in saline twice each day did cause some apparent damage to surface morphology of the colon, but not to the extent observed during feeding of the resin as 2% of the diet. In contrast, extensive surface damage of the colon was observed by twice daily infusions of either 165 mumol of an equimolar mixture of cholic, deoxycholic, and chenodeoxycholic acids, or by the bile acids mixed previously with the ion-exchange resin. The data suggest that topographical damage of the colon observed during feeding of bile acid-sequestering resins is in large part due to increased concentrations of either bound or unbound bile acids in the large bowel.