Bile Excretion

[the prodogy]

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How much bile is excreted as stool and how much re-enters the liver through the enterohepatic circulation? From most sources, it says that most (80%) re-enters the liver, but according to First Aid, they have it the other way around where 80% is excreted and 20% enters the liver, with some entering urine.

 

[Phloston]

As far as I'm aware, 80% of bilirubin is excreted as stercobilin, with 18% returning to the liver and 2% making the urine as urobilin (90 and 10%, respectively, of the 20% that is reabsorbed).

However, 90-95% of bile acids are reabsorbed via the terminal ileal Na+/bile acid symporter.

Remember that clear distinction.

Random fact encountered in a practice question:

Vitamin B2 is given to neonates with physiologic jaundice alongside their phototherapy because it is sensitive to photo-degradation. The excess unconjugated bilribuin is converted to lumirubin, which is water-soluble.