Liver ultrastructure in cholesterolic gallstone patients before and after treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid
Bouma, M.E.; Lévy, V.G.; Infante, R.
Gastroenterologie Clinique et Biologique 4(8-9): 569-576
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0399-8320 PMID: 7429104 Document Number: 159828
Liver ultrastructure was studied before and after treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in 15 patients with gallbladder radiolucent gallstones. All patients had 3 needle liver biopsies, before and 6 and 12 mo. after chenodeoxycholic acid therapy (12-15 mg/kg per day). In addition to EM examination, a semiquantitative morphometric study was designed to look for possible variations in the luminal microvillar surface of bile canaliculi, dilatation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, or the presence of intramitochondrial crystals and cytoplasmic microtubules. Although most of the gallstone patients showed slight to moderate ultrastructural hepatic lesions before treatment, CDCA administration neither made them worse nor improved them. These findings correlate well with those of liver tests and histological observations and emphasize the lack of hepatotoxicity of CDCA in humans.