Abstract
Bile secretion in the dog is immature at birth and develops during postnatal life (Hepatology 2:717). To determine whether the developmental changes in secretory activity are associated with age-related changes in bile composition, electrolyte levels in plasma, gallbladder bile and hepatic bile were measured in anesthetized suckling puppies of 0-3 (n=3), 7-21 (n=5) and 28-42 (n=8) days of age and fed (n=4) and 24-hr fasted (n=4) adult dogs. Plasma concentrations (meq/1) of sodium (140-148), chloride (101-111), and bicarbonate (20-27) were the same in all animals. Gallbladder bile volume (ml/kg) was similar among puppies (0.2-1.7 mean=0.74) and fed adult animals (0.67±0.3), but significantly higher in fasted dogs (1.13±0.3). Gallbladder bile acid content was 65±11, 89±17, 144±27, 146±42, and 318±46 μeq/kg in these respective groups. Gallbladder sodium concentrations increased with age (176±14, 188±17, 217±18, 252±12, and 279±15 meq/1), whereas bicarbonate (43±9, 32±6, 14±7, 11±4 and 6±2 meq/1) and chloride levels (55±16, 33±11, 24±7, 16±7 and 6±2 meq/1) decreased. In spontaneously secreted hepatic bile, sodium levels increased (161±6, 167±8, 184±10, 176±12, and 179±12, meq/1) and chloride decreased (96±5, 87±9, 80±8, 74±9, and 60±14 meq/1) with age. Bicarbonate concentrations were similar in puppies of different ages (23±4, 22±4, and 19±6 meq/1), but higher in adult dogs (38±7 and 32±7 meq/1). Bile acid concentrations in these respective groups were 30±10, 14±4, 19±7, 49±7 and 78±12 meq/1. 14C-erythritol bile-to-plasma ratio also increased with age in the puppies (1.02±0.05, 1.05±0.08 and 1.24±0.11). In adult dogs, the solute ratio was higher in fasted (1.70±0.24) than fed (1.38±0.14) animals. These results support the view that, in the dog, the gallbladder and the biliary epithelium share a common mechanism for water reabsorption (Na-coupled Cl transport), and suggest that such a mechanism is immature at birth and develops during postnatal life.
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Tavoloni, N., Alter, B. 739 INDIRECT EVIDENCE FOR IMMATURITY OF GALLBLADDER AND BILE DUCTDLAR WATER REABSORPTION IN THE NEWBORN DOG. Pediatr Res 19, 234 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00769
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00769
