Summary
We compared the absorption (loss) of bile salts from the distally occluded canine stomach of normal and vagotomized animals before and during hemorrhagic shock (mean BP 40 mm Hg) after serial instillation of 10 mM taurine-conjugated bile salts in neutral and acid solution (100 mEq/liter HCl). In normotensive animals mean ± SE absorption of taurocholic acid in acid solution was 24.83 ± 3.65% in the first 30-min period and 19.35 ± 4.88% in the second period. Absorption during shock showed a similar decrease in the first and second 30-min periods (27.88 ± 7.05 and 21.27 ± 4.59%) which was not different from absorption in normotensive animals. Absorption of bile salts in an acid soluction from the vagotomized stomach was 21.96 ± 1.66% in normotensive animals and 23.74 ± 3.57% during hemorrhagic shock. Absorption dropped to 7.68 ± 4.05% (p < .05) when bile salts in neutral solution was left in the vagotomized stomach for 30 min during hemorrhagic shock. None of the eight vagotomized animals developed mucosal erosions when a neutral solution of bile salts was placed in the stomach during hemorrhagic shock. In contrast, eight of eight vagotomized animals had numerous gross and microscopic mucosal defects at sacrifice, after the instillation of bile salts in acid solution during shock. We conclude that taurocholic acid is more readily absorbed from an acid solution, and produces extensive gastric mucosal injury in the presence of H+ and hemorrhagic shock.
