Bile, gallbladder, gallstones Flashcards
Role of gallbladder?
Storage of bile for modifying fats to be digested
Why does gallbladder store concentrated bile?
active Na+ transport from gallbladder + H2O follows→ increased solid content
What does pancreatic juice contain?
bile salts, bile pigments + dissolved substances in alkaline electrolytes
pH of gall bladder bile?
7
Why does bile become more acidic?
- Na+ exchanged for H + ,
- but [Na + ] increases as more Cl- and HCO3 - lost
Role of gall bladder secretions?
come together with pancreatic secretions, go into
duodenum to neutralise acidic chyme from stomach, especially HCO3- vital
Describe how bile is modified
- bile formed in liver (from bile acids) moves through larger ductules + ducts and as composition is modified (by movement of Na+ and H+ )
- water added by specific tight junctions within ductules
Role of cholangiocytes?
secretion of bile in healthy individuals via net release of HCO3 - and H2O
What contributes to secretions from cholangiocytes?
hormones + other locally acting mediators eg secretin, ACh, ATP
Watery secretions of pancreas?
HCO3-, Cl-
What are bile salts formed from?
bile acid + cation eg Na+
Role of ductules?
- Remove glucose, AA, GSH is hydrolysed, due to too much glucose etc could result in bacteria.
- Secrete IgA for mucosal protection + HCO3 - in response to secretin in postprandial period (after meal)
Role of ductules?
- Remove glucose, AA, GSH is hydrolysed, due to too much glucose etc could result in bacteria.
- Secrete IgA for mucosal protection + HCO3- in response to secretin in postprandial period (after meal)
Describe how bile flows
- hepatocytes
- bile canaliculi (merge to form ductules)
- terminal bile ducts
- hepatic ducts (left + right)
- common bile duct
What are bile canaliculi?
bile capillaries, tube collects bile secreted by hepatocytes
small passageways that convey bile into larger bile ducts
What are The Canals of Hering?
part of outflow system of exocrine bile product from liver
What secretes components of bile + what are the components?
- Hepatocytes = cholesterol, lectithin, bile acids, bile pigments (bilirubin, biliverdin, urobillin)
- Epithelial cells of bile duct = bicarbonate rich salt solution
Role of sphincter of Oddi?
- Contracts during fasting, so bile goes back up to gall bladder
- Relaxes during + after meals
Role of secretin?
influences secretion of bicarbonate-rich solution + H2O
Describe how bile secretion into canaliculi is regulated by bile conc in blood
-↑bile during + after a meal to digest the food esp if fatty
meal
-↑bile salt conc in the blood
-↑bile salt secretion into the bile canaliculi
What’s sphincter of oddi?
hepatopancreatic sphincter
Lecithin helps to dissolve fat and cholesterol and can help regulate the functions of the liver, gallbladder and kidney
Biliverdin (bile pigment), green tetrapyrrolic; a product of haem catabolism. It is the pigment responsible for a greenish colour sometimes seen in bruises;
Urobilin = yellow colour of urine; also found in faeces; product of haem
What’s sphincter of oddi?
hepatopancreatic sphincter
Role of lecithin?
dissolve fat + cholesterol to regulate functions of liver, gallbladder, kidney
, ;
Urobilin = yellow colour of urine; also found in faeces; product of haem
Role of lecithin?
dissolve fat + cholesterol to regulate functions of liver, gallbladder, kidney
What’s urobilin?
yellow colour of urine; also found in faeces; product of haem
Substances secreted across bile canalicular membrane via transporters?
Bile acids Phosphatidylcholine Conjugated bilirubin Cholesterol Xenobiotics (foreign chemicals/substances, e.g. drugs)
Substances secreted across bile canalicular membrane via diffusion?
water, glucose, Ca2+, GSH, AA, urea
Composition of hepatic bile?
97% water, cholesterol, lecithin, bile acids, bile pigments
Composition of gallbladder bile?
89% water, HCO3-, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, cholesterol, bilirubin, bile salts
Where does bile go between meals?
goes to gallbladder between meals when sphincter of Oddi is closed
Where do bile acids go after synthesis?
- transported across canalicular membrane
- bile canaliculi
- gallbladder
Describe classic/neutral pathway for bile acid formation
- hydroxylation of sterol nucleus by CYP7A1
- saturation of double bond of sterol nucleus
- epimerisation of the 3β-hydroxyl group + hydroxylations
- shortening of side chain to 3C atoms
- carboxylation of last C atom of side chain
Alternative pathway
Steps in the pathway
Side chain modification by 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1)
Modification of sterol ring of oxysterols
7α-hydroxylation by CYP7B1
CYP7B1 is similar to CYP7A1, but CYP7B1 has a more broad substrate specificity than CYP7A1
Brief summary of the two major bile acid biosynthetic pathways
You do not need to learn/memorise the names of these enzymes and the products of the reactions
Classic/neutral pathway:
Cholesterol is converted to 7α-hydroxycholesterol by the rate-limiting enzyme CYP7A1 (located in ER)
The 3 -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3- -HSD, HSD3B7) converts 7α-hydroxycholesterol to 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4), which is converted to 7 α,12α-dihydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one by a sterol 12α-hydroxylase (CYP8B1 (alternative symbol = CYP12) leading to synthesis of cholic acid
Without the action of by CYP8B1, C4 is eventually converted to chenodeoxycholic acid. Here, the mitochondrial sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) catalyses the steroid side chain oxidation in both cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid syntheses from C4
In the alternative/”acidic” pathway:
Cholesterol is first converted to 27-hydroxycholesterol by CYP27A1
Oxysterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7B1) catalyses hydroxylation of 27-hydroxycholesterol to 3 ,7α-dihydroxy-5-cholestenoic acid, which eventually is converted to chenodeoxycholic acid.
Generation of secondary bile acids: In the large intestine, bacterial 7α-dehydroxylase removes a hydroxyl (from C7 position of the primary bile acids) which leads to the conversion of cholic acid to deoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid to lithocholic acid.
The activity of the enzymes are tightly regulated. Synthesis, transport and release are also tightly regulation for optimal physiological response. Unlike CYP7A1, the activity of CYP27A1 is not regulated by bile acids
Describe classic/neutral pathway for bile acid formation
- hydroxylation of sterol nucleus by CYP7A1
- saturation of double bond of sterol nucleus
- epimerisation of the 3β-hydroxyl group + hydroxylations
- shortening of side chain to 3C atoms
- carboxylation of last C atom of side chain
Describe alternative pathway for bile acid formation
- side chain modification by 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1)
- modification of sterol ring of oxysterols
- 7α-hydroxylation by CYP7B1
- CYP7B1 similar to CYP7A1 but CYP7B1 has broader substrate specificity than CYP7A1
Features of bile acids?
- Vital in GI
- Made from cholesterol
- Secreted into bile
- Conjugated to glycine or taurine in liver