Site of bile acid absorption in the rat

Bile acid absorption was measured in the small intestine of the rat using 91Y as a nonabsorbed reference substance. Some 50% of the secreted bile acids were absorbed in the proximal half of the small intestine. In situ incubations of ligated intestinal segments into which tauro(14C-carbonyl)cholic acid was introduced confirmed the considerable uptake of bile acids in the jejunum. The situ experiments indicated that serosal transport is the limiting stage of bile acid absorption in the jejunum but not in the ileum. Increasing bile acid concentrations in the in situ experiments did not affect the percentage disappearance of dose from the jejunum but reduced the percentage mucosal uptake in the ileum. It is concluded that, in the rat, the proximal small intestine is as important in the absorption of bile acids as the distal small intestine.