The effect of biliary tract pressure on bile flow, bile salt secretion, and bile salt synthesis in the primate

A primate model for inducing and continuously measuring various biliary tract pressures while maintaining a controlled interruption of the EHG has been described. Bile flow, bile salt secretion, and bile salt synthesis have been studied at control, moderately elevated, and high biliary tract pressures. At high biliary pressures, bile flow and the bile salt secretion rate were consistently reduced and bile salt synthesis was completely inhibited. It is proposed that the reduced secretion of bile salts results in the accumulation of bile salts in the liver with resultant feedback inhibition of synthesis.