Abstract
Bromsulfalein, injected intravenously in a dosage of 2 mg per kilo of body weight, is rapidly removed from the blood stream (85-95% in 5 minutes; 100% in 30 minutes), but its elimination in the bile continues over a period of several hours. This suggests that two separate or related mechanisms are involved and that simultaneous investigation of the rapidity of removal of the dye from the blood and the curve of its elimination in the bile might yield information of interest.
The concentration of bromsulfalein in the bile was determined as follows: 0.1 cc of bile was added to 15 cc of distilled water and 0.1 cc of 10% NaOH, and mixed by inversion. A blank was prepared for each specimen, containing 0.1 cc of bile, 15 cc of water and 0.1 cc of 10% NaCl. If turbidity developed the mixtures were filtered. After 10 minutes, readings were made in the Evelyn photoelectric colorimeter, using filter 580, and the concentration of bromsulfalein determined on the basis of a calibration curve obtained by adding known amounts of the dye to bile. In the case of very high concentrations, 30-45 cc water may be used instead of 15 cc.
Studies were made upon 6 cholecystectomized, bile-fistula dogs (45 determinations), 10 patients with T-tubes in the common bile duct (32 determinations), and 24 subjects in whom bile was obtained by duodenal intubation (60 determinations). Bromsulfalein was injected intravenously (2 mg per kilo), blood was withdrawn at the end of 30 minutes for estimation of the degree of retention of dye and determination of the serum bilirubin concentration, and bile was collected by continuous drainage in 15-minute fractions over a period of at least 2 hours.
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