Six strains of lecithinase-lipase-negative Clostridia, isolated from human feces, were capable of oxidizing chenodeoxycholic acid to 3a-hydroxy-7-keto-5P-cholanoic acid and of epimerizing it to ursodeoxycholic acid. The identity of the reaction products was confirmed by coniparing their mass spectra, obtained by combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, with those of authentic refer...

Certain dihydroxy bile acids cause secretory diarrhea when present in the colonic lumen at inappropriately high concentrations. However, the mechanism underlying the secretagogue activity has not been fully elucidated. Experiments were performed to test whether mast cells and one of their major mediators, histamine, might contribute to the secretory effect. Chenodeoxycholic acid, a secretory bi...

Introduction Platelets are well-established mediators of inflammatory responses throughout the body. Increased platelet activity occurs in the intestinal mucosa in conditions of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), where it may contribute to the mucosal fibrosis associated with these diseases. The bile acids, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA)...