Can Colonic Bacterial Metabolites Predispose to Cholesterol Gall Stones?

Abstract

The cholesterol content of biliary lipids increased. significantly when 16 healthy volunteers ingested deoxycholic acid (DC) for two weeks in a daily dose of 100–150 mg. Serum cholesterol also fell significantly to 88% of the baseline levels. Since DC is formed in the colon we suggest that populations in whom there is a high colonic absorption of bacterially metabolized cholate—that is, DC—have an increased predisposition to cholesterol gall stones. © 1975, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.