TRC: Bile salts

Bile salts

In people with a functioning gallbladder, bile salts (which act by desaturating cholesterol in the bile) taken orally may dissolve gallstones containing cholesterol. However, the process may take 2 years or longer, and stones may return after the therapy is ended.

Medical dissolution, using ursodeoxycholic acid is successful in 40% of cases. This bile salt is used for the dissolution of gall stones and for various liver disorders.

It suppresses hepatic bile acid synthesis and secretion. Furthermore, it solubilizes cholesterol in micelles and causes dispersion of cholesterol as liquid crystals.

Other properties of ursodeoxycholic acid are useful for the treatment of liver disorders: reduction of the toxic bile acids in bile, and immunomodulating effects on the hepatocellular membranes.

Which statement is least accurate concerning bile acids:

Extra info: Bile acids are only formed in the liver (therefore, C is not true). A, B, and D are all true.

Option explanation:

Ursodeoxycholic acid is a minor product of colonic bacterial biotransformation of chenodeoxycholic acid.

Bile acids undergo about two enterohepatic cycles after each meal

Bile acids are formed in the intestinal mucosa from cholesterol

Bile acids are conjugated in the liver with glycine or taurine. In the conjugated form, they are reabsorbed by active absorption from the ileum.

Bile salts

Bile salts

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