Inhibitory effect of bile on bacterial invasion of enterocytes

Abstract

Exposure to bile during bacterial growth resulted in bacterial cells with decreased invasiveness for cultured intestinal epithelial cells. This observation is consistent with previous in vivo studies of obstructive jaundice, where the absence of bile in the intestinal lumen, not bile duct ligation, appeared to facilitate bacterial translocation in obstructed animals. Thus, the presence of bile in the intestinal lumen may decrease bacterial translocation by a mechanism that involves decreased epithelial internalization of enteric bacteria.