Martínez-Augustin O, Medina FS. Intestinal bile acid physiology and pathophysiology. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(37): 5630-5640 [PMID: 18837078 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.14.5630]
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Fermín Sánchez de Medina, Department of Pharmacology, Facultad de Farmacia, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, Granada 18071, Spain. fsanchez@ugr.es
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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2008; 14(37): 5630-5640 Published online Oct 7, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5630
Intestinal bile acid physiology and pathophysiology
Olga Martínez-Augustin, Fermín Sánchez de Medina
Olga Martínez-Augustin, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Granada 18071, Spain
Fermín Sánchez de Medina, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Granada 18071, Spain
Author contributions: Both authors contributed equally to this work.
Supported by Grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI051625 and PI051651). The group is member of the Network for Cooperative Research on Membrane Transport Proteins (REIT), co-funded by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain and the European Regional Development Fund (Grant BFU2005-24983-E/BFI). The CIBER-EHD is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Correspondence to: Fermín Sánchez de Medina, Department of Pharmacology, Facultad de Farmacia, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, Granada 18071, Spain. fsanchez@ugr.es
Telephone: +34-958-243889 Fax: +34-958-248964
Received: July 24, 2008 Revised: September 16, 2008 Accepted: September 23, 2008 Published online: October 7, 2008
Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) have a long established role in fat digestion in the intestine by acting as tensioactives, due to their amphipathic characteristics. BAs are reabsorbed very efficiently by the intestinal epithelium and recycled back to the liver via transport mechanisms that have been largely elucidated. The transport and synthesis of BAs are tightly regulated in part by specific plasma membrane receptors and nuclear receptors. In addition to their primary effect, BAs have been claimed to play a role in gastrointestinal cancer, intestinal inflammation and intestinal ionic transport. BAs are not equivalent in any of these biological activities, and structural requirements have been generally identified. In particular, some BAs may be useful for cancer chemoprevention and perhaps in inflammatory bowel disease, although further research is necessary in this field. This review covers the most recent developments in these aspects of BA intestinal biology.
