The role of bile acids in post-surgical acute renal failure in jaundic
ed patients is obscure. In this study the effects of 11 bile acids wer
e assessed on freshly isolated rat glomeruli and proximal tubular frag
ments using de novo protein synthesis and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
leakage as markers of cytotoxicity. Lithocholic acid inhibited protein
synthesis from 5 mu M, chenodeoxycholic and deoxycholic acid from 50
mu M (P < 0.05). The concentration of hydrophobic bile acids that inhi
bited protein synthesis by 50% (IC50) was 10 mu M, 75 mu M and 80 mu M
for lithocholic, chenodeoxycholic and deoxycholic acids, respectively
. The glycine and taurine conjugates of these bile acids had no signif
icant effect on de novo protein synthesis up to 200 mu M. Lithocholic
acid (50 mu M), chenodeoxycholic (200 mu M) and deoxycholic acids (200
mu M) caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in LDH leakage. Lithoc
holic acid also directly inhibited LDH activity above 50 mu M (P < 0.0
5), whereas chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid had no effect o
n LDH below 500 mu M, at which concentration they caused a slight incr
ease in activity. The cytotoxic bile acids had no effect on the level
of reactive oxygen species in kidney fragments. Hydrophobic bile acids
inhibit protein synthesis and increase membrane permeability. Hydroph
obic bile acids also directly alter LDH activity. Kidney cells are sus
ceptible to the hydrophobic bile acids at concentration significantly
below their critical micellar concentration. These results suggest tha
t both glomeruli and tubules are highly sensitive to hydrophobic bile
acids. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.