Measurement of bilirubin partition coefficients in bile salt micelle/aqueous buffer solutions by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

The partition coefficients for the distribution of bilirubin between aqueous phosphateborate buffer and cholic, taurocholic, taurodeoxycholic, and taurochenodeoxycholic micelles have been measured by micellar electrokinetic chromatography at pH 8.5. Determination of the partition coefficients required that the critical micelle concentration and partial specific volumes be determined for each bile salt. Critical micelle concentrations were slightly higher for the trihydroxy bile salts. Partial specific volumes of the bile salt micelles differed very little from each other, and for each bile salt they were constant over the concentration range studied, which was typically from slightly above the critical micelle concentration to 35 mM. Capacity factors were corrected for the effects of applied voltage by extrapolation of the capacity factor to zero applied volts. The free solution mobility of bilirubin, determined in the absence of bile salt, was also corrected for the effects of applied voltage. Plots of extrapolated capacity factor versus phase ratio yield the partition coefficient as the slope of a linear fit to the data. Partition coefficients for bilirubin were significantly higher for dihydroxy bile salts than for trihydroxy bile salts.