QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mower, H. F. Articles by Glober, G. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mower, H. F. Articles by Glober, G. A.

Analysis of Fecal Bile Acids and Diet Among the Japanese in Hawaii¹

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, and Japan-Hawaii Cancer Study, Kuakini Medical Center, 347 N. Kuakini Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

Fecal samples of 165 Japanese men in Hawaii, age 43 to 74, were analyzed for bile acid content by their conversion to the methyl ester and the trimethylsily ether derivative followed by separation on a gas chromatograph. The arithmetic mean of total bile acids for the 165 specimens was 10.96 mg/g dry weight of feces. Each of the following bile acids was detectable in over 77% of the fecal specimens: cholic, deoxycholic, lithocholic, and cholanic acid. The intake of Western foods was not positively correlated with the fecal content of secondary or modified bile acids, even though other workers have observed that these bile acids predominated in persons from Westernized countries. Two of the Japanese foods were negatively correlated with the levels of modified bile acids, which suggested that these foods contributed to a decrease in modified bile acids in fecal specimens. Fecal bile acid measurements appeared to be associated with age, but not with weight, height, or serum cholesterol levels.

KEY WORDS: • fecal bile acids • diet

¹ Supported by Contract No. NO1-CP-33216 from the Biometry Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and by the Cancer Center of Hawaii.

² Reprint requests to: H. F. Mower, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822.

Manuscript received 24 October 1977.