Bile alcohol glucuronides present in human serum were isolated by ion exchange chromatography on piperidino-hydroxypropyl Sephadex LH-20. Following hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase, the bile alcohols were analyzed by a combination of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Bile alcohols identified were 27-nor-5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,25-pentol, 27-nor-5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,25,26-hexol, 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,25-pentol, 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,26-pentol, 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,25,26-pentol, and 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,25,26-hexol. The bile alcohol composition in serum was similar to that in urine but not to that in bile. The concentration of total bile alcohols in serum was 59.5 +/- 24.6 micrograms/L.

Adult↗