Bile Composition

• water
• bile salts
• bilirubin
• cholesterol
• fatty acids
• lecithin
• sodium
• potassium
• calcium
• chlorine
• bicarbonate ions
Bile Secretion
• CCK -Between 20 to 30 minutes after eating a meal, the partially
digested food enters the duodenum of the small intestine from the
stomach as chyme (gastric emptying). The presence of food, especially
fatty foods, in the stomach and duodenum stimulates the gallbladder to
contract due to the action of cholecystokinin (CCK). The gallbladder then
forces out bile and relaxes the sphincter of Oddi thereby allowing bile to
enter the duodenum.
• VAGUS NERVE- The other stimulus for gallbladder contraction is nerve
impulses from the vagus nerve and enteric nervous system. If sufficiently
stimulated for a prolonged period (due to the presence of fatty foods),
the gallbladder can empty its entire contents within an hour.
• Secretin- the digestive hormone that stimulate pancreatic secretion, also
increases bile secretion. Its main effect, however, is to increase the
secretion of water and sodium bicarbonate from the lining of the bile
duct. This bicarbonate solution, along with pancreatic bicarbonate, is
essential for neutralizing the stomach acid that is present in the
duodenum.
Bile Concentration
• The gallbladder has to concentrate the bile so that it can
store the bile salts and waste products of the liver bile.
It actively transports sodium through the gallbladder
mucosa. The other constituents like water, chloride and
electrolytes then diffuse through the gallbladder lining.
• By doing this, gallbladder bile is 5 to 20 times more
concentrated than liver bile. At this point, gallbladder
bile is mainly composed of bile salts, and smaller
volumes of bilirubin, cholesterol, lecithin and other
electrolytes stay in the gallbladder.
Bile Storage
• The liver is constantly secreting bile, up to 1 liter in a 24 hour
period, but most of it is stored in the gallbladder.
• This hollow organ can only hold 30 to 60 ml of bile and is able to
store the large quantities of bile from the liver by concentrating
it.
• The gallbladder is able to achieve this by resorption of water,
sodium, chloride and other electrolytes through its lining. The
other constituents of bile, like the bile salts, cholesterol, lecithin
and bilirubin, stays in the gallbladder.
Bile Salts
• Bile salts are constantly recycled in the body. It is secreted into
the duodenum along with other compounds as bile.
• It binds with lipids to form micelles and eventually reenters the
blood stream. By passing through the portal cirulation, bile salts
enter the liver.
• Here it goes through the venous sinuses of the liver and is
absorbed by the liver cells (hepatocytes). It is then ready to be
secreted again by the liver cells to make up bile.
• This allows for over 90% of bile salts to be recycled in this manner
(enterohepatic circulation of bile) and after about 15 cycles, it is
discarded in the feces.
Bile Production
• The liver cells (hepatocytes) produce bile which collects and
drains into the hepatic duct. From here it can enter the small
intestine to act on fats by traveling down the common bile duct,
or it can enter the gallbladder through the cystic duct, where it is
stored.
• The liver manufactures between 600ml to 1 liter of bile in a day.
As bile travels down the ducts, the lining of these passages,
secrete water, sodium and bicarbonate ions into the bile, thereby
diluting it. These additional substances help to neutralize the
stomach acid which enters the duodenum with partially digested
food (chyme) from the stomach..
Bile Functions
• Bile does not contain enzymes like other secretions from the
gastrointestinal tract. Instead it has bile salts (acids) which
can :
• Emulsify fats and break it down into small particles. This is a
detergent-like action of bile.
• Helps the body absorb the breakdown products of fat in the
gut. Bile salts bind with lipids to form micelles. This is then
absorbed through the intestinal mucosa.
• The other important function of bile is that it contains waste
products from hemoglobin break down. This is known as
bilirubin and is normally formed by the body as it gets rid of
old red blood cells which are rich in hemoglobin. Bile also
carries excess cholesterol out of the body and ‘dumps’ it into
the gastrointestinal tract where it can be passed out with
other waste matter.
• Cholecystokinin (CCK) is the major hormone responsible for
gallbladder contraction and pancreatic enzyme secretion. CCK,
like other gastrointestinal hormones, is produced in discrete
endocrine cells that line the mucosa of the small intestine [1]. It is
also found in the central nervous system and peripheral nerves
innervating the intestine. In these locations, CCK probably
functions as a neurotransmitter.