Plasma lipid lipoproteins and biliary lipid composition in female gallstone patients.

The relationships between biliary lipid composition and cholesterol or triglyceride concentration in plasma lipoprotein fractions (i.e., very-low density, low-density, high-density, HDL2 and HDL3) have been studied in normolipaemic female gallstone patients.

Bile acid-induced liver toxicity: relation to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of bile acids.

Hypertransaminasemia is a frequent side effect during chenodeoxycholic administration for gallstone dissolution. Evidence suggests that this effect is not mediated by lithocholic acid, the intestinal metabolite of chenodeoxycholic acid, but that toxicity is due to the chenodeoxycholic acid itself. In vitro cytotoxicity of bile salts is positively proportional to their detergent effect, which is, on the other hand, related to their hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance.

High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of molecular species of phosphatidylcholine--development of quantitative assay and its application to human bile.

In this paper we propose a novel, rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the identification and quantitation of individual phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species from natural mixtures. To overcome difficulties deriving from the lack of adequate standards and from the variability of the responses to UV spectrophotometric detectors currently used in HPLC analysis, we first fractionated and quantitated the major molecular species of a commercial egg PC by means of a preparative column. The identification of PC molecular species was confirmed by gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of fatty acids.

Drawbacks in the use of 23-nor-deoxycholic acid standards.

23-Nor-deoxycholic acid is widely used as internal standard in gas-liquid chromatographic studies of bile acids. Two batches of this compound, submitted to conventional alkaline hydrolysis of bile acid conjugates, were found to be transformed into a product with chromatographic properties different from those of "authentic" 23-nor-deoxycholic acid. To identify this "new" product a comparison was made between chromatographic properties, mass spectra, and NMR spectra of 23-nor-deoxycholic acid before and after alkaline hydrolysis.

Effect of glucose and/or branched chain amino acid infusion on plasma amino acid imbalance in chronic liver failure.

The characteristic amino acid pattern observed in chronic liver failure with high aromatic and low branched chain amino acid levels is considered to be consequent to increased muscle protein catabolism. The main catabolic stimulus has been attributed to hyperglucagonemia and to a reduced insulin/glucagon molar ratio. Intravenous administration of a solution containing branched chain amino acids and glucose to patients with chronic liver cirrhosis rapidly normalizes the plasma amino acid pattern.

Structure of biliary phosphatidylcholine in cholesterol gallstone patients.

The fatty acid composition of biliary phosphatidylcholine was analyzed in 13 patients with radiolucent gallstones undergoing elective cholecystectomy, and in 11 normolipemic patients without gallstone undergoing abdominal surgery. The only difference in the percentage fatty acid composition between the two groups was a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher percentage arachidonic acid in the first group.

Sulfated bile acids in serum, bile, and urine of cirrhotic patients before and after portacaval anastomosis.

Sulfated and unsulfated bile acid composition was studied in serum and bile in 10 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Samples, collected before and 2 months after portacaval anastomosis, were analyzed using a gaschromatographic method. Mean total serum bile acid levels rose from 32.

Individual serum bile aids in patients with primary hyperlipoproteinemias.

Fasting serum concentrations of the individual bile acids were measured by gas chromatography in 27 patients with primary hyperlipoproteinemia (8 type IIa, 7 type IIb and 12 type IV) and in 14 healthy subjects. Total serum bile acid levels were 1618 +/- 244 ng/ml (SE) in type IIa, 1296 +/- 251 ng/ml in type IIb and 15609 +/- 263 ng/ml in type IV hyperlipoproteinemia. These values did not differ significantly from values in the control group (1505 +/- 200 ng/ml).

Influence of portacaval anastomosis on serum and biliary unsulfated bile acid composition in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Unlabelled: Serum and biliary unsulfated bile acids were studied using a gas chromatographic method in 8 patients before and 2 months after portacaval anastomosis. Total serum bile acids were 21.6 +/- 3.

An improved gas-chromatographic method for the determination of sulfated and unsulfated bile acids in serum.

This study has been aimed at improving some steps in the gas-liquid chromatographic determination of sulfated bile acids. The best conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysis with cholylglycine hydrolase of sulfolithocholylglycine and sulfolithocholyltaurine are described. Recoveries of more than 85% were obtained after prolonging the incubation to 12 h.

Differences in serum bile acid composition between unoperated cirrhotic patients and patients with portacaval or mesocaval shunt.

Serum bile acids were determined in 13 cirrhotic patients with portacaval shunt and in 15 with mesocaval shunt. 20 nonshunted cirrhotics were used as controls. Serum bile acid levels were higher in portacaval (26.

Fasting and postprandial serum bile acids as a screening test for hepatocellular disease.

Postprandial serum bile acid estimation was recently proposed as the most sensitive test of liver function. In our study, the fasting and postpranidal serum bile acid measurements were performed on 19 normal subjects, 20 patients with cirrhosis, 10 with acute hepatitis, 4 with resolving viral hepatitis, and 6 with chronic active hepatitis. A gas-chromatographic method was used.

Octopamine and ammonia plasma levels in hepatic encephalopathy.

It has been recently proposed that hepatic encephalopathy could be due to the accumulation of octopamine acting as a false neurotransmitter, and the increase of ammonia might reflect this accumulation. The simultaneous determination of octopamine and ammonia was performed in 88 cases with or without encephalopathy. The correlation between the two substances appeared to be good (P less than 0.

Octopamine plasma levels and hepatic encephalopathy: a re-appraisal of the problem.

An investigation on the blood levels of octopamine was carried out on 70 adult individuals. There was a statistically significant correlation between the levels of octopamine and hepatic encephalopathy. Normal subjects had values below 1 ng/ml, while patients with grade 3 or grade 4 encephalopathy constantly showed values above 3.