DOES PARACELLULAR PERMEABILITY PLAY A ROLE IN CHOLEPHILIC DYE-INDUCEDCHOLESTASIS

Changes in hepatic paracellular permeability were investigated during the development of cholephilic dye-induced cholestasis in rats. For th is purpose, four dyes with different cholestatic potency (phenol red, sulfobromophthalein, bromcresol green and rose bengal) were infused at a high, potentially damaging dose (280 nmol/min per 100 g body wt., i .v.), and changes in paracellular permeability were continuously monit ored by measuring the access into bile of the permeability probe [C-14 ]sucrose. The cholestatic potency of the different dyes was: rose beng al > bromcresol green > sulfobromophthalein > phenol red. All the dyes increased [C-14]sucrose bile-to-plasma ratio, producing a displacemen t towards curves of higher permeability. The capability of the dyes to increase biliary permeability followed the same order as their respec tive cholestatic potencies. The possible implications of the present r esults for cholephilic dye-induced cholestasis are discussed.