Effect of Ileal Autotransplantation on Cholesterol, Bile Acids, and Biliary Lipids in Pigs with Proximal Small Bowel Resection

Our major aim was to investigate the consequences of ileal autotransplantation in pigs with proximal small intestinal resection on biliary lipids and metabolism of bile acids. Biliary lipid secretion rates and bile acid absorption were assessed by measuring dietary and biliary lipids, fractional cholesterol absorption, and fecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acids. In addition, serum bile acids and cholesterol, biliary and fecal bile acid species, and ileal villus height were determined after resection of the proximal 75% of the jejunoileum (n = 15) and autotransplantation of the remaining ileum with systemic venous drainage (n = 15) or transection (n = 5). Autotransplantation further increased fecal excretion of neutral and acidic steroids and serum concentration of bile acids after proximal resection (P < .05 for all); autotransplantation significantly decreased serum cholesterol, ileal villus height, fractional bile acid and cholesterol absorption, and biliary molar percentage of total and primary bile acids, whereas biliary secretion of bile acids, enriched by secondary bile acids, and cholesterol remained unchanged. At 14 weeks, ileal villus height, fractional bile acid and cholesterol absorption, biliary molar percentage of bile acids, and proportion of secondary biliary bile acids were altered by transplantation from the respective postresection values of 864 +/- 22 microm, 97.9 +/- 0.6%, 26.9 +/- 3.9%, 91.8 +/- 1.2% and 9.2 +/- 1.3% to 428 +/- 21 microm, 91.1 +/- 1.5%, 9.5 +/- 1.1%, 83.9 +/- 1.4% and 52.5 +/- 3.5% (P < .005 for all). Posttransplantation biliary bile acid secretion correlated positively with fractional reabsorption (r = .70) and biliary molar percentage (r = .73) of bile acids and ileal villus height (r = .65; P < .01 for all). Decreased absorption efficiency and biliary molar percentage of bile acids, increased biliary secondary bile acids, and short ileal villi point to bacterial overgrowth-induced bile acid malabsorption, which with decreased absorptive area may contribute to malabsorption of other lipids after ileal autotransplantation. Compensatory increase in cholesterol synthesis in the pigs with autotransplanted ileum appeared sufficient for constant biliary secretion of cholesterol and bile acids.