Effects of Neomycin and Chenodeoxycholic Acid on the Bile Acid Composition and Plasma Cholesterol in Hamsters

The effects of neomycin (NM) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) feeding on biliary lipids composition, fecal excretion of bile acids and plasma cholesterol levels were studied in hamsters. Sixteen male hamsters were fed diets containing NM (0.5, 1 and 2%) and CDCA (1%) for 9 days under the experimental design using the two-way layout. After dosing of two drugs, blood samples were obtained following the collection of hepatic bile juice for one hour under urethan anesthesia. Feces were collected from each experimental group for 24 hours before bile collection. Feeding CDCA and NM had no effect on the concentration of biliary lecithin, cholesterol and total bile acid, but the two drugs affected considerably bile acid composition. By CDCA feeding, biliary CDCA and lithocholic acid (LCA) increased significantly, whereas cholic acid (CA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) decreased. NM feeding depressed the increase of LCA effected by CDCA feeding, DCA was not detected or in trace amounts in all biles from NM-fed hamsters. In feces from CDCA-fed hamsters, a great amount of LCA was detected. By NM feeding, the fecal concentration of the secondary bile acids (LCA and DCA) decreased markedly, while the primary bile acids (CDCA and CA), which could not be detected in feces from the basal diet fed group, were detected. Plasma cholesterol levels were decreased significantly by both drugs.