Sulfation of lithocholic acid has been proposed as a mechanism for elimination of this hepatotoxic bile acid from the body by accelerating its fecal excretion. However, quantitative data on the absorption characteristics of sulfated lithocholic acid conjugates in vivo are scarce. We studied the intestinal absorption of 14C-labeled glycolithocholic acid (GLC), taurolithocholic acid (TLC), and their 3 alpha-sulfate esters, SGLC and STLC, respectively. Studies were performed in unanesthetized rats with a permanent biliary drainage. At an intestinal infusion rate of 125 nmol/min, which is comparable to 7% of the normal biliary bile acid output in the rat, the absorption of sulfated lithocholic acid conjugates was delayed when compared with their unsulfated precursors but quantitatively only slightly reduced over a 24-h period: SGLC 90.9 +/- 3.6%, GLC 94.4 +/- 1.1%, STLC 84.4 +/- 3.0%, and TLC 94.2 +/- 2.1%. Urinary excretion of sulfated and unsulfated bile acids was similar and never exceeded 2% of the dose. SGLC absorption was dose dependent, was not altered by coinfusion of rat bile, and was only slightly reduced by a sixfold overdose of taurocholic acid. SGLC and STLC were excreted into bile largely unchanged in form. In contrast, GLC and TLC were extensively metabolized to more polar bile acids, predominantly to beta-muricholic acid conjugates. Replacement of NaCl in the infusion fluid by CaCl2 reduced the absorption of SGLC and STLC by 63 and 52%, respectively. This calcium effect was less pronounced for the unsulfated bile acids: GLC -22%, and TLC -19%. Absorption of taurocholic acid was unaffected by CaCl2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)