Korean J Clin Pharm.  2018 Dec;28(4):273-278. 10.24304/kjcp.2018.28.4.273.

Bile Acids and the Metabolic Disorders

• Roh JH
• Yoon JH

• KMID: 2437930
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24304/kjcp.2018.28.4.273

Abstract

Bile acids are major constituents of bile and known to help absorb dietary fat and fat-soluble vitamins in the gastrointestinal tract. In the past few decades, many studies have shown that bile acids not only play a role in fat digestion but also function as broad range of signal transduction hormones by binding to various receptors present in cell membranes or nuclei. Bile acid receptors are distributed in a wide range of organs and tissues in the human body. They perform multitudes of physiological functions with complex mechanisms. When bile acids bind to their receptors, they regulate fat and glucose metabolism in a tissue-specific way. In addition, bile acids are shown to inhibit inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. Considering the roles of bile acids as metabolic regulators, bile acids and their receptors can be very attractive targets in treating metabolic disorders. In the future, if roles of bile acids and their receptors are further clarified, they will be the novel target of drugs in the treatment of various metabolic diseases.

Keyword

Bile acid; metabolic disorder; receptor; metabolism

MeSH Terms

Bile Acids and Salts*
Bile*
Cell Membrane
Dietary Fats
Digestion
Fibrosis
Gastrointestinal Tract
Glucose
Human Body
Inflammation
Liver
Metabolic Diseases
Metabolism
Signal Transduction
Vitamins
Bile Acids and Salts
Dietary Fats
Glucose
Vitamins