[Effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on the biliary lipids secretion (author's transl)]

Effects of cholic acid (CA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on the biliary lipids secretion were studied using hamsters. After CA or UDCA infusion, biliary flow and secretions of bile acids, phospholipids and cholesterol were increased, and relative potencies of bile flow were CA greater than UDCA. UDCA in the bile was markedly increased after UDCA infusion (about 40% of total bile acids). Oral administration of CA or UDCA (3, 15 mg/kg/day) once daily for two weeks significantly decreased biliary bile flow and bile acids secretion tended also to decrease. When CA was administered continuously, CA in the bile decreased. Oral administration of UDCA, however, enhanced secretion of UDCA in the bile. Phospholipid secretion seemed to differ with the alternations in bile acid concentration. Oral administration of CA increased cholesterol secretion, whereas UDCA had tended to decrease cholesterol secretion. These results show that CA or UDCA acts differently on the secretion of biliary lipids, depending on single or repeated administrations and the doses of bile acid.