Effect of intestinal resection on bile salt absorption in dogs

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

The efficiency of intestinal absorption of bile salts was evaluated by studying the rate of disappearance of radioactivity from the bile of dogs after the intravenous administration of sodium taurocholate-24-C¹⁴. Bile was sampled through an indwelling tube in the gall bladder. One day after a high-fat meal normal dogs retained 48% of the radioactivity; dogs with resection of the jejunum retained 48%, whereas those with resection of the ileum retained only 3% in the bile. This is consistent with previous observations that the ileum is the site of bile salt absorption in vitro and in anesthetized animals. Animals with resection of the ileum exhibited significant steatorrhea; however, three-fourths of the ingested fat was absorbed in spite of almost complete failure to absorb bile salts. This indicates that fat and bile salts are not normally absorbed together. Elimination of enterohepatic circulation of bile salts by resection of the ileum contributes to the observed steatorrhea.

Key Words: taurocholic acid • intestinal absorption • enterohepatic • circulation • steatorrhea • fat absorption

Submitted on July 6, 1964