Adaptive changes of hepatic bile salt transport in a model of reversible interruption of the enterohepatic circulation in the rat

Neither intestinal sequestration of bile acids nor common bile duct ligation modulate the expression and function of the rat ileal bile acid transporter

The regulatory responses of bile acid (BA) transport in the terminal ileum to perturbations in BA homeostasis are complex, and conflicting results have been reported by different investigators. These studies were designed to examine the response of this system to a reduction in ileal bile salt concentrations at both a functional and molecular level. Common bile duct ligation (BDL) or feeding of a novel bile acid-binding compound, GT31-104HB, for 7 days were used to reduce ileal apical membrane bile salt flux. Apical bile acid transport function was assessed by examining sodium-dependent uptake of [3H]-taurocholate (TC) into brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Expression of the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) and the ileal lipid-binding protein (ILBP) were assessed by Western blotting with quantitation using [125I]-labeled secondary antibody and a phosphorimager. Neither common BDL nor intestinal sequestration of BA led to a change in ileal bile acid transport function or the expression of the ASBT or the ILBP. These results indicate that a reduction in presentation of bile salts to the apical surface of the terminal ileum does not modulate the expression of the genes involved in their transport.

Effects of diosgenin, a plant-derived steroid, on bile secretion and hepatocellular cholestasis induced by estrogens in the rat

Increased biliary secretion of cholesterol and lipid vesicles (unilamellae and multilamellae) induced by diosgenin (D), a plant-derived steroid, has cytoprotective effects in the rat liver subjected to obstructive cholestasis. In this study, our aims were to investigate the following: 1) the effects of D on the bile secretory process and on the cholestasis induced by estradiol-17beta-(beta-D-glucuronide) (E17G) or 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (E) administration; 2) whether the potentially protective effects of D are related to D-induced increase of biliary cholesterol and lipid lamellae; and 3) whether D has other effects capable of modifying specific bile secretory processes or preventing the cholestatic effects of estrogens. Rats were fed a standard ground chow (control group) or chow containing D for 6 days. E17G was administered i.v. to control and D-fed rats and bile flow, bile salt output, and alkaline phosphatase excretion were examined. 17alpha-E was administered from days 4 to 6 to rats fed standard chow or chow plus D for 6 days and different functional parameters of the bile secretory process as well as the ultrastructure of hepatocytes and histochemistry of alkaline phosphatase and Mg2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) were examined. D-treatment markedly increased cholesterol and lamellar structures in bile and attenuated the acute cholestatic effects of E17G. D-feeding prevented the decrease of taurocholate maximum secretory rate and the increase of biliary alkaline phosphatase and Ca2+,Mg2+-EctoATPase (EctoATPase) excretion, as well as the increase of cholesterol/ phospholipids ratio, alkaline phosphatase activity, and EctoATPase content in canalicular plasma membranes induced by E. D-feeding did not prevent E-induced decrease of basal bile flow, bile salt, cholesterol, and phospholipid secretory rates nor the decrease of Na+,K+-ATPase activity and Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp) content in isolated sinusoidal membranes. Cholestatic alterations of canalicular domain were apparent in E-treated rats. D administration was also associated with changes of ultrastructure and histochemistry of hepatocytes. E-induced alterations in ultrastructure and acinar distribution and intensity of histochemical reaction of both enzymes were partially prevented by D-feeding. We conclude that D administration, in addition to inducing a marked increase of biliary cholesterol and lipid lamellar structures output, was associated to changes in hepatocyte morphology and plasma membrane composition, enzymes activity, and histochemistry. D-feeding attenuated the acute cholestatic effects of E17G. D-induced increase of bile cholesterol and lipid lamellae content was not apparent when D-fed rats received E. Despite this fact, D administration prevented some cholestatic effects of E, probably through different metabolic effects and/or direct membrane effects, not related to increased lipid lamellae excretion.

Adaptive regulation of hepatic bile salt transport: role of bile salt hydrophobicity and microtubule-dependent vesicular pathway

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The hepatic transport of bile salts can be regulated by changes in bile salt pool size and/or in the flux of bile salts through the liver. Prolonged bile salt pool depletion is associated with down-regulation of maximum taurocholate transport and decreased canalicular membrane specific bile salt binding sites. This study was undertaken to investigate: a) whether adaptive down-regulation of maximum hepatic bile salt transport occurs to the same extent for bile acids of different hydrophobicity; and b) the role of microtubule-dependent vesicular pathway in the adaptive changes of bile salt transport capacity.

METHODS

Male rats were subjected to 24-h or 48-h external biliary diversion to induce bile salt pool depletion. Basal bile flow, bile salt secretion and lipid secretion, maximum secretory rate of three bile salts of different hydrophobicity (tauroursodeoxycholate, taurocholate and taurochenodeoxycholate) and changes in the biliary excretion of two markers of the microtubule-dependent vesicular pathway (horseradish peroxidase and polyethyleneglycol molecular weight-900) were measured in control and bile salt-depleted rats. Taurocholate-stimulated horseradish peroxidase biliary excretion was also assessed in order to define whether the restoration of bile salt flux across the hepatocytes increased the excretion of this marker in bile salt-depleted rats.

RESULTS

The reduction in the maximum secretory rate of the three bile salts under study observed after prolonged biliary diversion was clearly related to their hydrophobicity, with greater reduction for taurochenodeoxycholate and smaller reduction for tauroursodeoxycholate, compared with taurocholate. The biliary excretion of vesicular transport markers was significantly reduced in bile salt-depleted rats. However, when stimulated by taurocholate, biliary excretion of horseradish peroxidase was similar to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The magnitude of the decrease of the hepatic bile salt maximum transport capacity seen after bile salt pool depletion is directly related to the hydrophobicity of the bile salt infused. A functionally depressed vesicular transport pathway appears to be also a contributing factor to this phenomenon.

Modulation of hepatic content and biliary excretion of P-glycoproteins in hepatocellular and obstructive cholestasis in the rat

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Release into bile of canalicular membrane enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, is significantly increased in rats subjected to experimental models of hepatocellular or obstructive cholestasis. This effect appears to be related to a greater susceptibility of these membrane intrinsic proteins to the solubilizing effects of secreted bile acids. It is not known whether canalicular membrane transport proteins, such as P-glycoprotein isoforms, involved in ATP-dependent xenobiotic biliary excretion and phospholipid secretion, are excreted into bile and whether this process is modified in cholestasis. The aims of this work have been to investigate in the rat: a) whether P-glycoproteins are normally excreted into bile, b) whether their excretion is modified in two experimental models of cholestasis, i.e., hepatocellular cholestasis induced by ethynylestradiol and obstructive cholestasis, and c) whether observed changes correlate with bile acid and phospholipid secretion and enzyme release into bile and with relative P-glycoprotein content in hepatic tissue and isolated and purified canalicular membranes.

METHODS

P-glycoproteins in bile and hepatic tissue were identified and quantitated by Western-blotting and immunohistochemistry using the C219 MAb. Changes in total mdr mRNA were analyzed by Northern-blotting.

RESULTS

Like canalicular membrane enzymes, P-glycoproteins are normally excreted into bile. Ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis was associated with a 4.9-fold increase in P-glycoprotein excretion compared with controls while, in contrast, the excretion of the carrier decreased markedly in obstructive cholestasis to 2% of control values. P-glycoprotein excretion per nmol of secreted bile acids increased 4.4-fold in ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis but decreased to 2% of control values in obstructive cholestasis. Total mdr mRNA levels in hepatic tissue were markedly increased (3.4-fold) in rats subjected to obstructive cholestasis and moderately increased (1.6-fold) in the ethynylestradiol group, compared with controls. P-glycoprotein content in isolated canalicular membranes was slightly decreased by 15% in ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis, while it increased 4.7-fold in obstructive cholestasis. Immunohistochemistry of rat livers showed that P-glycoprotein reaction at the canalicular domain of hepatocytes at acinar zone 1 was decreased in ethynylestradiol-treated rats and markedly increased in obstructive cholestasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis is associated with increased P-glycoprotein biliary excretion and decreased hepatic content. In contrast, obstructive cholestasis results in decreased P-glycoprotein biliary excretion and increased hepatic content. These results suggest that biliary P-glycoprotein excretion might be a modulating factor in canalicular membrane P-glycoprotein content. Increased P-glycoprotein release into bile in ethynylestradiol-treated rats is apparently not a consequence of cholestasis, but it might be a primary event and play a pathogenetic role in ethynylestradiol-induced cholestasis.