Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is used as a hepatic and digestive medicine in humans and domestic animals, was added to the diet of Wagyu beef cattle to investigate its effects on growth, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. The study involved 20 Japanese Black heifers. Animals were divided into the following 2 groups, a control group and a UDCA group (diet supplemented with UDCA), wi...

12-Keto-UDCA is an important optically active component for the drug ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Starting from the three-keto compound dehydrocholic acid, the carbonyl groups at position 3 and 7 have to be reduced stereoand regioselectively. In this case we applied two hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases for this purpose, the NAD-dependent 3α-HSDH from Pseudomonas testosteroni and the NADP-dependent...

AIM To explore the effects of matrine (MT) on acute intrahepatic cholestasis induced by 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE) in rats. METHODS Acute intrahepatic cholestasis in rats were induced by EE, and the effects of MT on acute intrahepatic cholestasis were explored and compared with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) by serum biochemical determination and bile excretion experiments. RESULTS The ser...

BACKGROUND In patients with obstructive jaundice, multi-organ dysfunction may develop. METHODS/DESIGN This trial is a prospective, open-label, randomized, and controlled study with the objective to evaluate the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid in liver functional restoration in patients with obstructive jaundice after endoscopic treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of urso...

Background: In patients with obstructive jaundice, multi-organ dysfunction may develop. Methods/Design: This trial is a prospective, open-label, randomized, and controlled study with the objective to evaluate the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid in liver functional restoration in patients with obstructive jaundice after endoscopic treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of urso...

In order to cast light on the anti-cholestatic and cytoprotective properties of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), intrahepatic transport and secretion of bile salts and biliary phospholipids were investigated by using isolated perfused livers from colchicine-pretreated rats. Administration of taurocholic acid (TCA) after colchicine pretreatment induced marked cholestasis. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (...

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but the cost of this drug has raised concerns regarding cost-effectiveness. The aim of our study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of UDCA in PBC. We compared the costs and outcomes of managing PBC patients with and without UDCA. From two previously published trials, the effect...

The effects of pharmaceutical preparation of the unsaponifiable fraction of soybean (MRG), ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and their combined treatment on lithogenic index (L. L) and gallstone dissolution were clinically investigated in gallstone patients. When seven patients with cholelithiasis were given UDCA alone at a daily dose of 300 or 400 mg during ca. 5 months, their L. L were cleary decre...

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor that blocks nitric oxide production, while congestive heart failure is associated with increased plasma and tissue ADMA content. Increased plasma ADMA is a strong and independent predictor of all-cause mortality in the community and the strongest predictor of mortality in patients after myocardial infarction. Re...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of an antioxidant factor in the hepatoprotective effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in rat alcoholic steatohepatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The effects of UDCA (40 mg/kg, i.g., 30 days) were studied using rats fed on a high-fat diet (52% calories as fat) and administered with ethanol via intragastric intubation (4 g/kg daily, 30 days). ...