Bile and Urine as Complementary Pathways for the Excretion of Foreign Organic Compounds

Abstract

1. The urinary and biliary excretion in the rat of 30 aromatic compounds with mol. wt. of 100–850, and largely excreted unchanged, has been studied.

2. These compounds fall into three groups as regards their pattern of elimination, which is related to mol. wt.: group 1, with mol. wt. <350 and the major route of elimination the urine. When urinary excretion is prevented by ligating the renal pedicles the biliary excretion remains low. group 2, with mol. wt. of 450–850 which are excreted predominantly in bile. Even when the bile duct is obstructed, only small amounts of these compounds are found in urine. group 3, with mol. wt. of 350–450, which are eliminated extensively in both urine and bile. When one of these routes is blocked excretion by the other increases.

3. These studies emphasize the interrelationship of urine and bile as excretory routes for organic compounds. Urine and bile are complementary pathways; the extent of urinary excretion is greatest for the compounds of lowest mol. wt. and tends to decrease as mol. wt. increases and biliary excretion becomes more extensive.