Bile acid transport: Lessons from the intestine

Abstract

The transport of bile acid was studied in basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rat small intestine. Taurocholate transport into an osmotically reactive intravesicular space was Na + independent. The uptake of taurocholate in jejunal and ileal vesicles preloaded with sulfate was stimulated with respect to uptake in unpreloaded vesicles. Glycocholate inhibited the transstimulation of taurocholate uptake by sulfate. Sulfate and taurocholate uptake in ileal vesicles preloaded with bicarbonate was stimulated with respect to uptake in unpreloaded vesicles. Taurocholate inhibited the transstimulation of sulfate uptake by bicarbonate. When ileal vesicles were loaded with p -aminohippurate, an early transstimulation of taurocholate was found that exceeded equilibrium uptake, was insensitive to a K + diffusion potential, and was cis -inhibited by taurocholate, glycocholate, pyruvate, p -aminohippurate, probenecid, chloride, sulfate, and bicarbonate. These data indicate the presence of an anion exchanger in intestinal basolateral membrane vesicles that may be involved in the exit of bile acids from the enterocyte.