Amino Acid Infusions Induce Reversible, Dose-Related Decreases in Bile Flow in the Isolated Rat Liver

Parenteral infusion of amino acid solutions is known to produce cholestasis in experimental animal models and in the isolated perfused rat liver. To characterize the dose responsiveness and reversibility of amino acid-induced cholestasis, isolated rat livers were perfused with solutions containing 1.5, 3.0, or 6.0 g of amino acids for 1 hour and allowed to recover for 30 minutes. Perfusion of livers resulted in a rapid, dose-related decrease in bile flow (p < 0.0001 at doses of 3.0 and 6.0 g). When the amino acid solution was discontinued, bile flow recovered to near control rates. Infusion of taurocholate reduced the magnitude of the decrease in bile flow associated with amino acid infusion but did not prevent it. Infusion of amino acid solutions was associated with the following changes in bile: (1) dose-related increases in total free amino acid concentrations; (2) increased osmolarity; (3) increased glucose concentrations; (4) increased potassium concentrations; (5) decreased chloride concentrations; (6) increased oxygen uptake in livers not perfused with added taurocholate; and (7) increased total bile acid concentrations in livers perfused with added taurocholate. Additional investigations are needed to determine whether these associations are attributable to individual amino acids or the total metabolic load of the amino acids.