[14C]erythritol clearance and canalicular bile acid-independent flow in the baboon

The use of [14C]erythritol for the quantitative assessment of hepatic bile formation has been studied in baboons using sodium taurocholate to generate canalicular bile flow. It has been found that increments in [14C]erythritol clearance are equal to taurocholate-induced increments in bile flow, but there was no change in [14C]erythritol clearance when bile flow was increased by secretin. No evidence was found to support the view that bile acids affect bile acid-independent bile flow.