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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 1–3Cite as

Bile Acids

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Definition

Bile acids are complex physiological molecules that are essential for solubilization, absorption, and transport of dietary lipids in the intestine. On the other hand, bile acids are potentially toxic to cells.

Characteristics

Primary bile acids such as cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid are derived from cholesterol in the liver and are secreted and stored in the gallbladder as glycine or taurine conjugates. For example, cholic acid is stored as either glycocholic acid or taurocholic acid, and chenodeoxycholic acid is stored as either glycodeoxycholic acids or taurodeoxycholic acids. Bile acids are then released into the intestinal tract when fat enters the proximal portion of the intestine. About 90–95 % of released bile acids are absorbed in the terminal ileum. Bile acids are transported via the portal vein to the liver and extracted for reuse in the so-called enterohepatic circulation. However, about 5–10 % of secreted bile acids reach the colon, where conjugated cholic...

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References

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  • Soma T, Kaganoi J, Kawabe A et al (2006) Chenodeoxycholic acid stimulates the progression of human esophageal cancer cells: a possible mechanism of angiogenesis in patients with esophageal cancer. Int J Cancer 119:771–782

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Toshiya Soma & Yutaka Shimada

Authors
  1. Toshiya Soma
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  2. Yutaka Shimada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toshiya Soma .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Soma, T., Shimada, Y. (2015). Bile Acids. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_615-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_615-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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