Cholestasis in rats induced by taurolithocholate.

THE taurine conjugates of cholic and chenodeoxycholic acid1 are preponderant bile acids of murine bile. The systematic names of the bile acids referred to in the text are: taurocholic acid, 3α, 7α, 12α-trihydroxy-5β-cholanyl taurine; taurochenodeoxycholic acid, 3α,7α-dihydroxy-5β-eholanyl taurine; taurolithocholic acid, 3α-hydroxy-5β-cholanyl taurine; lithocholic acid, 3α-hydroxy-5β-cholanic acid. Although these bile acids are excreted as the sodium salts, by convention they are often referred to in the acid form. In this communication the suffix, ‘-ate’, is used to indicate the sodium salt. Intravenous administration of taurocholate to rats is known to result in increased bile flow and bile acid excretion2.