Choleretic effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on experimentally-induced intrahepatic cholestasis.

When a lymphokine, the cholestatic factor, is intravenously injected into rats through a mesenteric vein, remarkable reductions in bile flow and bile acid excretion are observed. Using this experimentally-induced intrahepatic cholestasis model, the choleretic effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) were studied. When UDCA was injected with the cholestatic factor, the reductions in bile flow and bile acid excretion were significantly suppressed. Remarkable choleretic effects were also noted, when UDCA was administered to normal rats. These results suggested that UDCA may be effective in the treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis.