The role of bile acid chelating agents

Cholic acid chelators are a class of drugs mainly used to treat diseases related to bile acid metabolism. Their function is to form complexes by binding with bile acid, changing the circulation and absorption of bile acid in the body, and thus achieving therapeutic effects. The following are the effects of bile acid chelating agents hedp:

Lowering cholesterol: Cholic acid chelating agents can combine with bile acids to form bile acid drug complexes. These complexes are excreted from the body, leading to a decrease in bile acid in the body, thereby stimulating the liver to synthesize more bile acid. In order to synthesize cholic acid, the liver needs to extract cholesterol from the blood, thereby reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.

Controlling the bile acid cycle: Cholic acid chelators can affect the balance of the bile acid cycle. They bind bile acid, preventing it from being absorbed by the small intestine and circulating back to the liver. This causes bile acid to be excreted from the body, stimulating the liver to synthesize more bile acid to compensate for losses. This process promotes the emptying of the bile acid pool in the liver and the utilization of exogenous cholesterol, thereby helping to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

Control cholesterol absorption: Cholic acid chelators can bind bile acid in the small intestine to prevent its absorption. This allows more bile acid to be excreted from the body through feces, reducing the recycling and absorption of bile acid. This further stimulates the demand for bile acid synthesis in the liver, thereby increasing the extraction and utilization of cholesterol in the blood.

Overall, bile acid chelators reduce cholesterol levels in the blood by reducing cholesterol synthesis, increasing bile acid synthesis, and reducing bile acid recycling. They play an important role in treating diseases such as hypercholesterolemia and specific types of cholestasis. However, caution should be exercised when using bile acid chelators as they may interact with other drugs and may cause some side effects. It is recommended to use under the guidance of a doctor.