Insulin and Insulin-Like Activity in the Bile of Rabbits

Abstract

Summary

Previous studies have shown that significant amounts of insulin were recovered in the bile following i.v. injections of large amounts of bovine insulin into rabbits. Suppressible and non-suppressible insulin-like activity has been measured in the hepatic bile of rabbits in an attempt to determine whether insulin undergoes any modification while passing from the plasma into the bile. The effect of bile on glucose uptake was slightly higher than that of a similar concentration of crystalline insulin. These differences may represent the presence in bile of small amounts of ILA not detectable immunologically. Bile ILA could not be suppressed completely upon incubation with an excess of AIS. The most likely explanation for these results seems to be that insulin may undergo some modification while passing through the liver.