deoxycholic-acid and Alcoholism

Serum lipase levels are much greater in cases of chronic alcoholics (without any marked symptom of pancreatitis) than in healthy subjects. In fact, about 43 p. cent of the studied samples from alcoholics exhibit a lipase activity above the reference interval (0-160 U/l). On the other hand, the lipase activity present in the serum of alcoholics exhibits different properties than lipoprotein lipase or post-heparin plasma lipase. Furthermore the enzyme from alcoholics presents similar properties to those of the serum lipase released in cases of pancreatitis mainly concerning the sensitivity versus colipase and biliary salt concentration. This similarity with the "pancreatitis" enzyme suggests a pancreatic disorder in number of cases of chronic alcoholics. Therefore, the authors think that serum lipase activity could be taken into account in the evaluation of the risk of any abnormality in the pancreatic function in all alcoholics.

Topics: Acute Disease; Alcoholism; Colipases; Deoxycholic Acid; Enzyme Activation; Humans; Lipase; Pancreatitis

Topics: Alanine Transaminase; Alcoholism; Animals; Cytosol; Deoxycholic Acid; Enzyme Induction; Ethanol; Female; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Humans; Leucyl Aminopeptidase; Liver; Microsomes, Liver; Rats

Deoxycholate is often absent in bile of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. The purpose of this study was to define the mechanism for this abnormality in bile acid metabolism in alcoholic cirrhosis. Excretion and hepatic metabolism of exogenous [14C]deoxycholate were determined, quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal bile acids were performed, and ability of fecal bacteria to metabolize cholate to deoxycholate in vitro was measured both in cirrhotic patients and in controls. There was no evidence for deoxycholate malabsorption or rehydroxylation. In cirrhotic patients without biliary deoxycholate, both in vivo levels of deoxycholate and lithocholate in feces and in vitro fecal bacterial conversion of cholate to deoxycholate were significantly decreased as compared to controls. The marked decrease in 7 alpha-dehydroxylase activity of fecal bacteria of some patients with alcoholic cirrhosis results in impaired conversion of cholate to deoxycholate and explains the lack of biliary deoxycholate in these patients.

Topics: Adult; Alcoholism; Bacteria; Bile Acids and Salts; Carbon Radioisotopes; Cholic Acids; Deoxycholic Acid; Feces; Female; Half-Life; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Lithocholic Acid; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Middle Aged; Urine

A sensitive radioimmunoassay for cholylglycine, chenodeoxycholylglycine, deoxycholylglycine, and sulfolithocholylglycine was established using antibodies obtained from rabbits injected with albumin conjugates of these bile acids. Glycine-conjugated bile acid levels were measured in sera from 25 control subjects and 110 patients who had hepatic disease (alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatitis, cholestasis, and hepatic malignancy). Sulfolithocholylglycine was elevated in the sera of all 110 patients with hepatic disease. Cholylglucine was within normal range in only three. Chenodeoxycholylglycine was elevated in most sera of patients who had hepatitis, cholestasis, or hepatic malignancy. It was normal in most sera of patients who had alcoholic cirrhosis, suggesting that chenodeoxycholic acid may be subject to further biotransformations in these patients. Deoxycholylglycine was elevated in a minority of patients, none of whom had cholestasis. The data suggest that serum bile acids, particularly sulfolithocholylglycine, are a highly sensitive index for hepatic dysfunction.

Topics: Alcoholism; Biliary Tract Diseases; Chenodeoxycholic Acid; Cholestasis; Cholic Acids; Deoxycholic Acid; Glycocholic Acid; Hepatitis; Humans; Lithocholic Acid; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Radioimmunoassay

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Alcoholism; Bile; Chenodeoxycholic Acid; Cholecystokinin; Cholic Acids; Deoxycholic Acid; Duodenum; Fasting; Female; Gallbladder; Humans; Intubation, Gastrointestinal; Lithocholic Acid; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Methods; Middle Aged; Taurocholic Acid