Chronic Ursodeoxycholic Acid- and Chenodeoxycholic Acid-Feeding-Induced Changes of Colon Mucosal Cell Proliferation in Rats

Hyperproliferation has been suggested to play a major role in bile acid-dependent colorectal tumor promotion. Effects of chronic feeding of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) were tested on cell proliferation in the colon of male noninbred Wistar rats. By use of a dynamic method measuring actual rates of cell production, proliferation was modulated by both bile acids only in the proximal part of the colon. UDC feeding produced mild hyperproliferation of basal crypt cells (cell position 5–8: 7.6±2.0 vs. 3.5±1.3 cells/1,000 cells/hr—P