Effects of treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid on liver microsomal metabolism of steroids in man

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate whether treatment of gallstone patients with chenodeoxycholic acid is associated with changes of the hepatic metabolism of steroids. Altogether 37 patients with cholesterol gallstones undergoing cholecystectomy were included in the study. Nine of them had been treated with chenodeoxycholic acid (15 mg/kg/day) for about 8 weeks prior to operation. Two hydroxylations involved in cholic acid biosynthesis, 12α-hydroxylation of 7α-hydroxycholest-4-en-3-one and 25-hydroxylation of 5β-cholestane-3α, 7α, 12α-triol, and the metabolism of a physiological steroid hormone, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, were studied in the microsomal fraction of liver homogenates. The 12α-hydroxylase was inhibited about 50%, which is in accordance with a regulatory function of this enzyme. The 25-hydroxylase and the metabolism of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione were unaffected. It is concluded that chenodeoxycholic acid treatment is not associated with general influences on hepatic steroid metabolism.