Dig Dis Sci 1985 Jun;30(6):558-63

Postnatal development of hepatic bile formation in the rabbit

Shaffer EA, Zahavi I, Gall DG

Abstract
To investigate postnatal maturation of hepatic bile formation, bile output was
measured in four groups of rabbits: suckling infants at ages 10-14, 18-22, and
26-30 days, and adults. Bile output was collected directly from the common duct
during three 1-hr periods: a basal period followed by intravenous infusion of 1
and then 2 mumol/min/kg of glycodeoxycholic acid. [14C]Erythritol and [3H]inulin
clearances measured canalicular bile flow and biliary permeability. Under basal
conditions and with the exogenous bile acid, bile flow and bile salt secretion
were lowest in 10- to 14-day-old infants and showed a gradual increase with
increasing age. Bile salt-dependent flow, the linear increase in flow relative
to bile salt secretion, was higher in the 10- to 14- and 17- to 22-day-old
compared to the adult and 25- to 30-day-old groups. The ratio of chloride to
bile salt secreted was also higher in the two younger groups. Bile
salt-independent flow at theoretical zero bile salt secretion was absent in the
younger groups, but evident in the adult and 25- to 30-day-old rabbits.
Canalicular flow estimated by erythritol clearance was linearly related to bile
salt secretion. Inulin clearance relative to erythritol clearance was higher in
the 10- to 14-day-old infants than the adults. Thus, bile flow and bile salt
secretion are reduced in the young infant but rise to near adult levels at the
time of weaning, 25-30 days in the rabbit. The increase in flow results from
increased bile salt secretion and the appearance of bile salt-independent
flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)