1983 Volume 26 Issue 9 Pages 913-919
The present study was undertaken to determine the amount of fecal bile acid excretion in 26 diabetic subjects. The subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the presence of diabetic neuropathy. Group I included 13 cases without neuropathy, Group II included 11 cases with diabetic neuropathy, and Group III included cases with diabetic diarrhea. Fecal bile acid and fecal fatty acid were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The following results were obtained.
1) The fecal wet weight per day was 141.8g in controls, 185.0g in Group I, 238.5g in Group II, and 280 and 700g in Group III.There was no significant difference among the groups.
2) The fecal bile acid excretion per day was 4.56mg/kg in controls, 6.89mg/kg in Group I, 15.0mg/kg in Group II, and 15.2 and 24.7mg/kg in Group III.The fecal bile acid output was significantly increased in Group II compared to the controls and Group I.
3) The ratio of primary bile acid to total bile acid was 14% in controls, 13.7% in Group I, and 27.6% in Group II.The ratio was markedly increased in the2cases of Group III with diabetic diarrhea (40.8%and76.5%).
4) Increased fecal fatty acid excretion (steatorrhea) was present in only one case of Group I and Group II, and the increase was to a slight degree.
The above reslts suggest that fecal bile acid excretion was increased in diabetics with neuropathy and with diabetic diarrhea, but was not increased in diabetics without neuropathy compared to controls.
