The isolation of tetrahydroxy bile acids as methyl esters from human urine and their characterization by 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Treatment with phenobarbital causes an increased urinary excretion of tetrahydroxylated bile acids in patients suffering from intrahepatic cholestasis. The main components were isolated from urine by means of column and thin-layer chromatography and were studied as methyl esters by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results obtained strongly support the contention that the main components are 1 beta-, 6 alpha- and 6 beta-hydroxylated derivatives of cholic acid.