Absorption of bile salts from the small intestine in vivo

¹ Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

The absorption of bile salts from the small intestine of the guinea pig was studied in vivo by determining the biliary excretion of bile salts injected into isolated regions of the small bowel Taurocholate, glycocholate, and cholate appeared in bile in significant amounts only when they were introduced into the distal part of the small intestine (ileum), indicating that there is little, if any, absorption by diffusion through the proximal mucosa. Allowing animals to eat a relatively high fat diet before the experiments did not alter the pattern of intestinal absorption of bile salts. The results confirm previous in vitro studies on the active transport of bile salts by the ileum.