EFFECTS OF ORAL URSODEOXYCHOLIC ACID IN HEALTHY CATS ON CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, SERUM BILE-ACIDS AND LIGHT-MICROSCOPIC AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE LIVER

A blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of ursodeoxych olic acid (UDCA) given orally, at a dose of 15 mg kg(-1) per day for e ight weeks, on the physical condition, haematological and serum bioche mical profiles, urinalysis, total serum bile acids (TSBA) and hepatic histology of four healthy cats. There were no clinically important sig nificant differences between the groups or within thr treatment groups in clinicopathological parameters, TSBA concentrations or histology. A significant lower concentration/proportion of taurochenodeoxycholic acid was observed in the treated cats (P=0 . 05). Only one treated cat accumulated measurable quantities of UDCA, and the compound appeared to be non-toxic. It did not increase the concentration of TSBA, and ac cumulated minimally in the serum. It should be investigated for therap eutic use in cats with hepatobiliary disease.