[Experimental cholestasis by dibucaine and harmaline: effects on bile flow and hepatic transport of bile acids, ethacrynic acid and ouabain (author's transl)].

For further confirmation of the hypothesis that bile-salts independent bile flow depends on transepithelial Na+ fluxes, the effect of dibucaine (0.5 to 1.6 mM) and of harmaline (1.7 to 4.0 mM) on bile formation was studied in the isolated rat liver. Both compounds, which are known to inhibit passive Na+ entry into tissues other than liver, inhibit bile secretion in a dose-dependent fashion. Measurements of oxygen consumption and examination of liver tissue by electronmicroscopy exclude unspecific damage to liver cells as the cause for secretory failure. Cholestasis induced by dibucaine and harmaline is reversible upon wash-out of the drugs from the perfusion system. Simultaneously added choleretics, such as taurocholate, cholate, ethacrynic acid or ouabain, fail to elicit a secretory response. Since harmaline is an inhibitor of Na+-dependent transport processes, its effect and that of dibucaine on Na+-linked uptake of these choleretics by the isolated liver was determined. Harmaline and dibucaine reduce taurocholate transfer to the extent of the Na+-independent fraction only, but completely inhibit active entry of cholate, ethacrynic acid and ouabain. It is concluded that drug-membrane interactions primarily on the sinusoidal surface but possibly also at the canalicular pole of the hepatocytes are responsible for the impairment of basal and stimulated bile secretion.