Enzyme profiles of mammalian bile.

The activities of subcellular marker enzymes in bile and liver homogenate from several mammalian species have provided information on the specificity of protein release during bile formation. The presence of significant amounts of the plasma membrane enzymes alkaline phosphodiesterase I and leucyl-beta-naphthylamidase in bile, in addition to alkaline phosphatase and 5'-nucleotidase, and the relative absence of intracellular enzymes lends support to the view that bile salt liberation from the hepatocyte is accompanied by a partial solubilization of the plasma (canalicular) membrane without extensive damage to the whole hepatocyte.