Effects of CDCA administration on bile composition and the liver

Abstract

With CDCA administered orally for a week consecutively in rats and clinical cases, its effects on the capacity of cholesterol solubility and the liver were studied. In 4 groups of rats, CDCA was given at doses of 3mg/kg, 10mg/kg, 50mg/kg, and 100mg/kg, per day respectively. In 3 groups of clinical cases, doses were 250mg, 750mg, and 1, 500mg, per day respectively. Either in rats or in clinical cases, the given doses caused no significant changes in biliary cholesterol and phospholipid levels. Total bile acids levels were increased significantly in rats given doses of 3mg/kg and 10mg/kg. In clinical cases, total bile acids presented highest increase in the group with 250mg, followed by the group with 750mg, whilethey were decreased in the group given the largest dose of 1, 500mg; cholesterol holding capacity was accordingly most prominent in the group with 250 mg. Cholesterol holding capacity, seen in the dose of CDCA per kg of body weight, was greatest in one with 6.3 mg/kg, followed by another with 12mg/kg.
The rat liver revealed no distinct changes in light microscopic examination, but electronmicroscopically unusual findings such as swellings of mitochondria was demonstrated in the groups given more than 10 mg/kg. In clinical cases, only one cases in the group with 750 mg showed a transient rise in S-GOT and S-GPT.