You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Original article
Developmental pattern of 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids in neonatal bile acid metabolism
  1. Toshiro Inouea,
  2. Akihiko Kimuraa,
  3. Kumiko Aokib,
  4. Masahiko Tohmac,
  5. Hirohisa Katoa
  1. aDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan, bResearch Institute of Medical Mass Spectrometry, cFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido
  1. Dr Akihiko Kimura, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830, Japan.

Abstract

AIMS To investigate whether a fetal pathway of bile acid synthesis persists in neonates and infants.

METHODS 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids were determined qualitatively and quantitatively in the urine, meconium, and faeces of healthy neonates and infants, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.

RESULTS The mean percentage of 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids in total bile acids in urine at birth was significantly higher than that at 3 or 7 days, and at 1 or 3 months of age. The concentration of this component in meconium was significantly higher than that in faeces at 7 days and at 1 or 3 months of age.

CONCLUSIONS The presence of large amounts of urinary 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids may indicate immaturity in the activity of hepatic 3-oxo-Δ4-steroid 5β-reductase in the first week of postnatal life. Large amounts of this component in meconium may be due to the ingestion of amniotic fluid by the fetus during pregnancy.

  • ketonic bile acid
  • 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acid
  • 3-oxo-Δ4-steroid 5β-reductase
  • meconium
  • gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

https://doi.org/10.1136/fn.77.1.F52

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes