Inhibition by propranolol of bile acid stimulation of rabbit colonic adenylate cyclase in vitro.

Unlabelled: Bile acids, especially unconjugated deoxycholic acid, cause diarrhea by inducing colonic mucosal secretion of water and electrolytes. This effect has been shown to be mediated by adenylate cyclase (AC). Propranolol, a beta-adrenergic blocking agent which inhibits AC, may then prevent this action of bile acids on colonic mucosa.

Effect of chenodeoxycholic acid and phenobarbital on the rate-limiting enzymes of hepatic cholesterol and bile acid synthesis in patients with gallstones.

The effects of chenodeoxycholic (CDC), 750 mg. per day, phenobarbital (PB), 90 or 180 mg., combined (CDC + PB), and placebo on biliary lipid composition and on the rate-limiting enzymes of hepatic cholesterol synthesis (HMG-CoA reductase) and bile acid synthesis (cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase) were studied.

Persistent effects of chenodeoxycholic acid on biliary lipids in the hamster.

Unlabelled: The effects of feeding chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) on biliary lipid composition, on the rate-limiting enzymes of hepatic cholesterol and bile acid synthesis, and on hepatic cholesterol and bile acids were determined in hamsters. The goals were to study the mechanism and duration of the cholesterol desaturation action of CDC. Administration of CDC for 30 days significantly increased the biliary bile acid and lecithin to cholesterol ratio and the percentage of CDC in bile (p less than 0.

Treatment of gallstones with chenodeoxycholic acid and phenobarbital.

In a controlled trial, 36 patients with asymptomatic radiolucent gallstones were treated with chenodeoxycholic acid, 750 mg per day, phenobarbital, 180 mg per day, combination of both drugs, and placebo. After one year, chenodeoxycholic acid, phenobarbital and the combination, but not placebo, significantly decreased biliary cholesterol saturation. The effect was significantly greater with chenodeoxycholic acid and the combination than with phenobarbital.

Gallstone disease.

Most gallstones are composed largely or entirely of cholesterol. The larger calculi are more often associated with acute cholecystitis than are smaller stones. Factors predisposing to gallstone formation include sex, age, race, child-bearing, and possibly diet and obesity.