BILE PHYSIOLOGY

The past year saw a marked increase in the number of papers dealing wi th canalicular bile water flow; details of its control are now emergin g. While bile acid molecular biologists dug in, bilirubin enthusiasts hit back with the breath-taking elucidation of the conjugation enzyme genes and the defect in the Crigler-Najjar syndrome. Interest in the t herapeutic use of ursodeoxycholic acid continued and was associated wi th a surge of interest in the cytotoxic and cytoprotective effects of bile acids.