Influence of bile salts on the endogenous excretion of bile pigments

Effect of the infusion of glycodeoxycholate (GDC), taurocholate (TC) and dehydrocholate (DHC) on bile flow and on bile salt, biliary lipid and bile pigment secretion, has been studied in pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbits. GDC increased bile flow the most, while DHC increased it more than TC. The different choleretic actions of these bile salts cannot be explained by means of variations in their capacity to form micelles. Only GDC and TC were able to stimulate biliary lipid secretion, which suggests that both bile salts increase the formation of mixed micelles. GDC and TC to a lesser extent increased bile pigment excretion, DHC being without effect. These results favour the hypothesis that micellar binding could be an important factor responsible for the effect of bile acids on bile pigment excretion and should not be completely ruled out.