Effect of taurochenodeoxycholate or tauroursodeoxycholate upon biliary output of phospholipids and plasma-membrane enzymes, and the extent of cell damage, in isolated perfused rat livers.

Isolated perfused rat livers were used to study the effects of taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDC) and tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDC) upon some aspects of biliary composition. After depletion of the endogenous bile salt pool of the liver, introduction of either bile salt brought about increases in bile flow, bile salt output and biliary phospholipid output. Taurochenodeoxycholate needed a lower biliary concentration to produce phospholipid output than did tauroursodeoxycholate. TCDC perfusion caused a substantial output of plasma-membrane enzymes (5′-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphodiesterase) into the bile, whereas TUDC caused little output of either enzyme; this may represent a characteristic difference between the effects of the two bile salts on the hepatobiliary system. The results from TUDC perfusion indicate also that much of the output of biliary phospholipid promoted by bile salts, may be independent of the output of plasma-membrane enzymes promoted by bile salts.