The effect of adrenalin and sympathomimetic amines (ephedrine, amphetamine) on bile secretion of the liver

Summary

Long-term experiments were performed on five dogs with a pemanent Schwann fistula of the gallbladder. The effect of adrenalin, ephedrine and amphetamine on bile production by the liver and on the chemical content of the bile was studied. It was established that adrenalin inhibited the bile secretion and promoted decrease of the absolute content of cholates in the bile. Amphetamine, on the other hand, has a promoting effect on bile production. The effect of ephedrine on production of bile is less characteristic and is unstable. Changes in the chemical content of the bile showed that the concentration of bilirubin in the bile depended on the degree of bile production. As to the concentration of the cholates—in the majority of experiments they showed considerable decrease. The mechanism of action of the preparations referred to above is discussed in this paper.