Effect of bile acids on intracellular calcium in isolated rat hepatocyte couplets
Thibault, N.; Ballet, F.
Biochemical Pharmacology 45(2): 289-293
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0006-2952 PMID: 8435088 DOI: 10.1016/0006-2952(93)90063-3
Accession: 008524500
The effects of bile acids on cytosolic free calcium ((Ca-2+)-i) were studied in single isolated rat hepatocyte couplets using a scanning laser cytometer and the fluorescent dye, indo-1. Cholestatic bile acids, chenodeoxycholate (CDC) and taurolithocholate (TLC) increased (Ca-2+)-i in a dose-dependent manner. Choleretic bile acids, tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDC) and taurocholate (TC), did not induce any change in (Ca-2+)-i except TC at very high doses. Treatment with TUDC added concomitantly with CDC or TLC significantly decreased the rise in (Ca-2+)-i induced by bile acids. These results, obtained with a polarized hepatocyte model that secretes bile, confirmed that cholestatic bile acids increase (Ca-2+)-i and showed that TUDC inhibits this phenomenon. These data are in agreement with a key role of intracellular calcium in cholestasis.