Effect of short-term bile duct ligation on peripheral blood steroids, urinary PGE2 and the rate of sodium excretion in male rabbits.

Short-term bile duct ligation in male rabbits resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of sodium excretion after saline challenge (10 ml/kg/hr for 4 hr, P less than 0.03). The reduction in the sodium excretory rate (14.3 +/- 7.8 to 6.3 +/- 5 mu-equiv/min, P less than 0.03) was associated with an increased urinary PGE2 excretion (200.9 +/- 174 to 731.8 +/- 1039.8 pg/min, P less than 0.01) without significant change in serum aldosterone and cortisol concentrations. Serum progesterone concentration increased (37.2 +/- 15.6 to 119.2 +/- 34.6 ng/dl, P less than 0.01) whereas serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentration declined after bile duct ligation suggesting the development of a 17-hydroxylase enzymatic block.