Diet on Bile Acid Conjugation

Sjovall (1960) determined the composition of duodenal bile collected after intravenous injection of a purified preparation of pancreozymin-cholecj stokinm in 21 medical students who maintained ordinary diets. In some cases. several samples were taken at intervals of 3-10 days. The mean ratio between glyco- and tauroeonjugated bile acids (G/T) was 3.2, but wide variations in this ratio were observed when analyses were made on different samples from the same subject. In two patient j who were fed a formula diet, on the other hand, the G/T ratio was very constant. These results support the belief that the variations shown by the individuals on free diets could be ascribed to the diet. 

Encrantz and Sjovall (1959) have shown that in newborn babies the bile acids are conjugated mainly wnth taurine but during the first week the ratio of glycine to taurine conjugates increases rapidly, reaching adult values after 7-12 months. This difference in the conjugation pattern in newborn babies and adults is probably caused by differences in the diet and perhaps in the composition of the intestinal flora. 

An interesting finding was reported by Herrmann (1959) who found that taurine added to the diet in hypercholesteremic rats significantly lowered serum, liver, and aorta cholesterol while glycine produced no effect. Sjovall (1959) reported that feeding of 1.5 gm taurine per day to normal subjects increased the proportion of taurine conjugate in bile, whereas glycine did 

Whether changes in the composition of the diet influence the conjugating enzyme activity directly or only influence the conjugation capacity by means of changes of the substrate supply to the liver is so far not known. Xor have any unequivocal results been presented which answer the question as to whether the bile acid conjugation reaction has any importance for the regulation of the rate of cholesterol conversion to bile acids. 

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