Bile secretion
PHYSIOLOGIC ANATOMY
OF BILIARY SECRETION
• Bile is secreted in two stages by the liver:
– The initial portion is secreted by the principal
functional cells of the liver, hepatocytes
– This initial secretion contains large amounts of bile
acids, cholesterol, and other organic constituents.
– It is secreted into minute bile canaliculi that
originate between the hepatic cells.
• Next, the bile flows in the canaliculi toward
the interlobular septa, where the canaliculi
empty into terminal bile ducts
• Then into progressively larger ducts, finally
reaching the hepatic duct and common bile
duct.
• From these ducts the bile either empties
directly into the duodenum or is diverted
through the cystic duct into the gallbladder,
Structure of hepatic lobule
Composition of bile
• Bile salts are
1. Cholic acid
2. Chenodeoxy cholic acid
3. Lithocholic acid
4. Deoxycholic acid
• Bile is secreted continually by the liver cells,
but most of it is normally stored in the
gallbladder until it is needed in the duodenum
• Bile juice is concentrated in the gallbladder by
active transport of sodium through the
gallbladder epithelium, followed by secondary
absorption of chloride, water, and most other
diffusible constituents.
Emptying of gallbladder
• Rhythmical contractions of the gallbladder wall,
with simultaneous relaxation of the sphincter of
Oddi
• The most potent stimulus for causing the
gallbladder contractions is the hormone CCK
• Also stimulated less strongly by acetylcholine-
secreting nerve fibers from both the vagi and the
intestinal enteric nervous system
Function of bile salt
• emulsifying or detergent function of bile salts
– which decreases the surface tension of the particles
and allows agitation in the intestinal tract to break the
fat globules into minute sizes
• help in the absorption of
– fatty acids
– Monoglycerides
– Cholesterol
– Other lipids from the intestinal tract
Enterohepatic Circulation of Bile Salts.
• About 94 percent of the bile salts are
reabsorbed into the blood from the small
intestine
• About one half of this by diffusion through
early portions of the small intestine
• And remainder by an active transport process
through the intestinal mucosa in the distal
ileum
• They then enter the portal blood and pass
back to the liver.
• Upon reaching the liver and during first
passage through the venous sinusoids, these
salts are absorbed almost entirely back into
the hepatic cells and are then resecreted into
the bile.
– 94 percent-recirculated
– small quantities - lost into the feces are replaced
by new amounts formed continually by the liver
cells