Taurolithocholate increases heme catabolism and alters the clearance of antipyrine in the rat

The effect of hypoxia on hepatic cytochromes and heme turnover in rats in vivo

We evaluated the effect of hypoxia (7% v/v) on hepatic heme turnover in vivo and microsomal heme protein content in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Hepatic heme protein turnover, measured as 14CO-production during continuous infusion of 5-14C-aminolevulinic acid, a precursor of nonerythrogenic heme, was decreased 60% during hypoxia and returned to control levels promptly after reoxygenation. Hepatic cytochrome P-450 content was decreased in hypoxic and 24-h reoxygenated animals. We conclude that normobaric hypoxia decreases hepatic cytochrome P-450 which could contribute to decreased drug metabolism in hypoxia. This decrease is probably due to heme oxygenase-independent breakdown of hepatic heme.

Effect of taurolithocholate on in vivo sulfation and glucuronidation of acetaminophen in rats

Taurolithocholate produces a prompt, complete, and reversible cessation of bile flow in rats. This is associated with impaired hepatic oxidative drug-metabolizing activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of taurolithocholate-induced cholestasis on in vivo conjugation. The pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen and the two major processes specifically responsible for its elimination, namely, the formations of acetaminophen sulfate and acetaminophen glucuronide, were used to assess hepatic conjugating activity. A 30-mg/kg bolus of acetaminophen was administered intravenously to rats 2 hr (acute cholestasis) or 20 hr (postcholestasis) after intravenous pretreatment with sodium taurolithocholate, 5 mumol/100 g body weight. Acute cholestasis increased the total clearance of acetaminophen 20%, the partial clearance to acetaminophen sulfate 12%, and the partial clearance to acetaminophen glucuronide 85%. Postcholestasis, these parameters had significantly decreased compared to those during acute cholestasis and were comparable to control values. The results show that cholestasis does not impair acetaminophen conjugation in the rat.

Effect of bile acids on hepatic protoporphyrin metabolism in perfused rat liver

To determine the effect of bile acids on hepatic protoporphyrin metabolism, balance studies were performed in isolated perfused rat livers. Hepatic protoporphyrin metabolism was found to increase linearly as a function of protoporphyrin dose in livers infused with and without taurocholate (0.7 mumol/min), but their rates differed significantly. Employing a standard 1500-nmol protoporphyrin bolus dose, infusions (0.7 mumol/min) of taurocholate, glycocholate, deoxycholate, and chenodeoxycholate, but not tauroursodeoxycholate or ursodeoxycholate, increased protoporphyrin metabolism 1.7- to 2.7-fold over control (0 bile acid) values. Bile acid infusion ranging from 0.175 to 1.4 mumol/min confirmed that both taurocholate and chenodeoxycholate increased protoporphyrin disposal significantly more than ursodeoxycholate. For all bile acids, the increase of protoporphyrin metabolism was most pronounced between biliary bile acid excretion rates of 10-50 nmol/min.g liver. These data indicate that (a) bile acids facilitated protoporphyrin metabolism, (b) bile acid structure influenced the effect, and (c) ursodeoxycholate may not be a prime candidate to study the role of bile acids in the treatment of protoporphyria.

Parenteral nutrition: short term effects on hepatic clearance of sodium taurocholate and indocyanine green

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is thought to induce cholestasis. However, serum hepatic enzyme abnormalities were found in 70 percent of patients before TPN was started. Rate constants (alpha, beta, K(E] and total clearance (CIT) of sodium taurocholate (STC) and indocyanine green (ICG) were studied in 20 carefully selected patients not on TPN and who had no hepatic or renal disease. Clearance measurements were made prior to initiation and 7 days into dextrose-based TPN. Four modes of TPN administration were used; low calorie (35 cal/kg) versus high calorie (50 cal/kg), with or without protection of TPN solutions from ultraviolet light. Protein doses for all groups were isonitrogenous. TPN was uninterrupted and no patient had surgery, other major procedures, or food by mouth. While serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) increased, no STC or ICG clearance parameter (total or subgroup) changed in response to TPN. These data do not support the hypothesis that TPN directly causes cholestasis, but suggest that cholestasis caused by concurrent liver disease may appear aggravated by TPN.

Verapamil favorably influences hepatic microvascular exchange and function in rats with cirrhosis of the liver

The effect of the calcium channel blocking agent, verapamil, on microcirculatory patterns and hepatic function was investigated in the perfused liver of cirrhotic rats. Compared with controls, cirrhotic livers had higher vascular resistance, increased intrahepatic shunting, and smaller extravascular albumin space and larger extravascular sucrose space, as determined by a multiple-indicator dilution technique. Hepatic function, estimated by determining propranolol and antipyrine extraction, was markedly reduced in cirrhotic livers. Portal pressure was then reduced 25% either pharmacologically by verapamil or hydrodynamically by lowering inflow. Verapamil decreased vascular resistance by 22%. This was associated with a 38% reduction in intrahepatic shunting and a 62% increase in extravascular albumin space. Hydrodynamically lowering pressure had no or adverse effects. The verapamil-induced improvement in microcirculatory characteristics was associated with a significant improvement in oxygen consumption (+21%) and antipyrine clearance (+20%). We conclude that the microvascular distortions of liver cirrhosis in the rat are partially reversible by vasodilators like verapamil.