Comparative effects of cholic, chenodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids on micellar solubilization and intestinal absorption of cholesterol.

Cholesterol absorption was studied in mice receiving cholic, chenodeoxycholic, or ursodeoxycholic acids (0.2% of the diet) for 2 months. Cholesterol absorption was greater with cholic acid (79%) than with chenodeoxycholic acid feeding (60%) and the lowest levels were observed during ursodeoxycholic acid feeding (37%). Under the three diets, bile acid pool and bile acid secretion were not different. Biliary cholesterol secretion was increased by cholic acid. The bile acid fed represents at least 80% of total bile acids. Micellar solubilization of oleic acid and cholesterol in the presence of each tauro-conjugated bile salt (10 mM) was determined in vitro by the coprecipitation method. Whatever the pH conditions, taurochenodeoxycholate solubilized significantly more cholesterol and more oleic acid than taurocholate. Tauroursodeoxycholate had the poorest detergent properties for both lipids. The differences between the three bile salts for cholesterol solubilization were enlarged by lowering pH and by high oleic acid concentration. Therefore the decrease in cholesterol absorption observed during ursodeoxycholic acid feeding could be explained by the poor detergent properties of this bile salt species. On the other hand, there is no relationship between the detergent properties of taurochenodeoxycholate and taurocholate and their effects on cholesterol absorption in mice. These results suggest that, in this particular case, micellar solubilization is not the rate limiting step in cholesterol absorption.