The bile salts secretion was studied in ten normal subjects and sixteen patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, in a basal period and during 60 minutes after Secretin injection. Total bile salts were measured by a modification of the enzymatic method of Iwata and Yamasaki and the individual bile salts were separated by silica gel thin-layer chromatography. During the 60 minutes after Secretin the mean concentration was 2.88 +/- 2.58 muM/ml in normals and 1.96 +/- 1.25 muM/ml in cirrhotics. The difference is not significant. During the first 20 minutes however the concentration was higher than 3 muM/ml in 8 out of 10 normals and lower than 2 muM/ml in 10 out 16 cirrhotics. The ratios of tri-to dihydroxy bile salts was similar in both groups. The ratios between bile salts conjugated with glycine and with taurine was higher in normals, and the ratio between free to conjugated bile salts was higher in cirrhotics. The lower concentration of total bile salts immediatly after Secretin, the higher proportion of taurin conjugates and of free bile salts could be important factors in the difficulties of fact digestion and absorption frequently found in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

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This article describes the prefabrication of a vascularized bone graft composed of autologous particulate cancellous bone and marrow (PCBM), a vessel bundle, and a biodegradable membrane. The PCBM was placed around the saphenous vessel bundle of rats and rolled with a biodegradable membrane of L-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone copolymer to prepare the prefabricated vascularized bone graft (group A). As controls, combinations of PCBM and membrane (group B), vessel bundle and membrane (group C), and PCBM and vessel bundle (group D) were prepared. A radiographic study revealed radio-opacity in the implantation site of group A 1 week later, in contrast to the other groups. Newly formed bone in the membrane roll was histologically confirmed, and neomicrovasculature circulating from the vessel bundle through the newly formed bone tissue was observed. The increase in alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin content was significant for the group A preparation compared with the other groups. We concluded that the combination of autologous PCBM, a vessel bundle, and a biodegradable membrane was promising in the prefabrication of vascularized bone with good blood circulation.