EFFECTS OF ADRENALECTOMY AND CORTICOID REPLACEMENT ON BILE ACID CONJUGATION IN BILE FISTULA RATS

ABSTRACT Bile fistula bile from male normal, sham-operated, adrenalectomized and cortisone substituted adrenalectomized rats was analyzed for free and conjugated bile acids. 40–50 per cent of the bile acids from adrenalectomized rats were conjugated with glycine as compared to less than 10 per cent in the other groups. The cortisone substituted adrenalectomized rats showed a lower glycine conjugation than normal rats. In the bile from adrenal-ectomized rats, free cholic acid corresponding to 2–5% of the conjugated bile acids was detected. In the bile from the other groups less than 1% of free cholic acid was found. The mechanism responsible for the abnormal conjugation pattern found in adrenalectomized rats is discussed.