Biomaterial Database

[Metabolism of bile pigments in the intestine]. 1990

B Corongiu, and M Roth

Laboratoire Central de Chimie Clinique, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire de Genève, Suisse.

This review discusses the knowledge on the transformation of bilirubin into urobilinoids before its elimination from the organism. The following aspects are presented: mechanism of bilirubin reduction by anaerobic intestinal bacteria, structure of the resulting urobilinoids, and enterohepatic circulation of the latter. Investigations on the reduction of bilirubin by intestinal bacteria in vitro are described, and the diagnostic value of urobilinoids determination is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007408	Intestinal Absorption	Uptake of substances through the lining of the INTESTINES.	Absorption, Intestinal
D007413	Intestinal Mucosa	Lining of the INTESTINES, consisting of an inner EPITHELIUM, a middle LAMINA PROPRIA, and an outer MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE. In the SMALL INTESTINE, the mucosa is characterized by a series of folds and abundance of absorptive cells (ENTEROCYTES) with MICROVILLI.	Intestinal Epithelium,Intestinal Glands,Epithelium, Intestinal,Gland, Intestinal,Glands, Intestinal,Intestinal Gland,Mucosa, Intestinal
D005243	Feces	Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D006418	Heme	The color-furnishing portion of hemoglobin. It is found free in tissues and as the prosthetic group in many hemeproteins.	Ferroprotoporphyrin,Protoheme,Haem,Heme b,Protoheme IX
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001654	Bile Pigments	Linear TETRAPYRROLES that give a characteristic color to BILE including: BILIRUBIN; BILIVERDIN; and bilicyanin.	Bile Pigment,Bilin,Pigment, Bile,Pigments, Bile
D001663	Bilirubin	A bile pigment that is a degradation product of HEME.	Bilirubin IX alpha,Bilirubin, (15E)-Isomer,Bilirubin, (4E)-Isomer,Bilirubin, (4E,15E)-Isomer,Bilirubin, Calcium Salt,Bilirubin, Disodium Salt,Bilirubin, Monosodium Salt,Calcium Bilirubinate,Hematoidin,delta-Bilirubin,Bilirubinate, Calcium,Calcium Salt Bilirubin,Disodium Salt Bilirubin,Monosodium Salt Bilirubin,Salt Bilirubin, Calcium,delta Bilirubin
D014557	Urobilin
D014558	Urobilinogen	A colorless compound formed in the intestines by the reduction of bilirubin. Some is excreted in the feces where it is oxidized to urobilin. Some is reabsorbed and re-excreted in the bile as bilirubin. At times, it is re-excreted in the urine, where it may be later oxidized to urobilin.