Hormones on Bile Acid Conjugation

Only a few data are available on the effect of hormones on bile acid conjugation. 

The effect of thyroid hormone on the blood cholesterol level is well known (Kritchevsky, I960 Boyd, 1963), According to Byers et al. (1952) and Rosenman et al. (1952), the chief cause of the changes of blood cholesterol in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid states is the altered rate of turnover of cholesterol. Despite the increased level of blood cholesterol in hypothyroidism, the synthesis of cholesterol is decreased (Gould et al., 1955 Lipsky et al., 1955 Gould, 1959). In the steady state this depressed rate of synthesis of cholesterol thus must be balanced by a corresponding decrease in the elimination of cholesterol. It seems reasonable to assume that the chief cause of the increased retention of cholesterol should be an impairment of the elimination, 

Hellstrom and I/indstedt (1964) presented evidence that subjects with hypothyroidism have a longer half-time and a lower turnover of bile acids. In ten patients with hj pofunction of the thyroid they found a mean halftime of 3.8 days and a mean turnover of cholic acid of 0.22 gm per day. The corresponding values for seven patients with hyperfunction of the thyroid was 2.1 days and 0.33 gm per day, respectively. In an earlier study of cholic acid turnover in young healthy subjects, Lindstedt (1957) found the half-time to be 2.8 daj- s and the turnover to be 0.34 gm per day. Five of the patients with hypothyroidism were treated with the 1-form of thyroid hormone and five patients were treated with the d-form. The patients treated with the 1-form increased the turnover of cholic acid with 0.15 gm 

It has been shown previously that adrenalectomized rats have lower food intake than normal animals (Kowhe and FoUcy, 1946-1948). How ever, rats 

It is bejmnd the scope of this pr ntation to consider the physiological functions of bile acid conjugates in detail. However, to place the conjugates in their proper biological perspective, it seen neceasarj to discuss some points. 

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