The role of reduced glutathione in bile formation in sheep

The present study reports the investigation on the influence of reduced glutathione (GSH) on bile secretion in 4 canulated sheep during constant intraduodenal infusion of bile alone, bile with sodium taurocholate (TCHNa) or bile with sodium deoxycholate (DCHNa). Infusions of bile alone and bile with TCHNa or DCHNa brought about an increase in the bile salts secretion from 0.05 ± 0.01 (μM/min/kg to the value of 0.12 ± 0.03, 0.22 ± 0.07 and 0.32 ± 0.08 μM/min/kg, respectively. It was shown that the administration of GSH during the infusion of both bile alone and bile+bile salts slightly but significantly (p < 0.05) lowered bile salts secretion. At the same time both bile with glutathione and bile+bile salts+glutathione increased the bile flow significantly (p < 0.05) as compared to that found after infusions without glutathione. After the i.v. administration of GSH, the volume of the bile increased to a lesser extent than it did with bile+TCHNa or, especially, with bi- le+DCHNa infusions. The concentration of glutathione in the bile was the highest during the infusion of bile+DCHNa (671.18 ng/ml), lower during the infusion of bile+TCHNa (471.40 ng/ml) and the lowest during the infusion of bile alone. Although the bile salts secretion decreased during the simultaneous infusion of the bile with bile salts and glutathione, there was an increase in the bile flow. Therefore, we concluded that some bile acid independent fraction was secreted into the bile and that the fraction was dependent on GSH secretion at the level of canaliculi.