Biliary excretion of simulateously administered bilirubin and chenodeoxycholic acid in rats with porta-caval shunt

Portacaval shunting influences several metabolic processes of the liver. The aim of this work was to investigate whether bile salts and bilirubin reciprocally interfere with their biliary excretion in this experimental condition. 12 male Sprague-Dawley porta-caval shunted rats received simultaneously crystalline bilirubin (intravenously) and chenodeoxycholic acid (intraduodenally) 20-26 days after intervention. The biliary excretion of these two compounds was then studied. The results seem to indicate that there exists a mutual interference between bile salt and bilirubin excretion in the bile; moreover it is suggested that porta-caval shunting plays a secondary role in determining the observed interaction between bilirubin and bile salts metabolism in the liver.