Abstract
Summary
Perfusion of the rat liver in vitro with concentrations of ethanol ranging from 25 to 250 mM in a medium of diluted rat blood was found to interfere with bile flow and with excretion of sulfobromophthalein (BSP) and indocyanine green (ICG). This impairment of excretion could not be related to interference with removal from the blood, since this was found to proceed normally during the course of the perfusion. Impaired excretion of these foreign dyes also could not solely be the results of impaired conjugation, since ICG does not require conjugation while BSP does. It was inferred that ethanol interferes with transport into the bile of its constituents, at concentrations similar to those that can be attained in vivo. The effect of ethanol on bile flow and dye excretion appears to be biphasic in that a low concentration of ethanol (5 mmoles/liter) appeared to increase the flow of bile and both excretion and clearance of BSP.
The authors are grateful to Mrs. A. Harinasuta for technical assistance and to Dr. J. Penhos for advice.
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