Influence of bile acids on cholera toxin-induced secretion in mouse jejunum.

The influence of bile acids on intestinal secretion induced by cholera toxin (CT) was studied in mice. The secretion was examined in ligated loops after the bile flow had been stopped by ligation of the common bile duct (CD). Bile depletion was found to inhibit both the secretion induced by CT, the degradation of CT, and the binding of CT to epithelial cells--all of which could be restored to normal by the application, before CT challenge, of bile acids in the loops of CD-ligated mice. Out of the nine bile acids tested, cholic acid, deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid were the most potent, their ED50 values being 0.2, 0.2, and 0.6 mM respectively.