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[8] [9] Gallstones are more common among women than men and occur more commonly after the age of 40. [2] Gallstones occur more frequently among certain ethnic groups than others. [2] For example, 48% of Native Americans experience gallstones, whereas gallstone rates in many parts of Africa are as low as 3%.
Gallstones may result from increased saturation of cholesterol or bilirubin, or from bile stasis. Lower concentrations of bile acids or phospholipids in bile reduce cholesterol solubility and lead to microcrystal formation. Oral therapy with chenodeoxycholic acid and/or ursodeoxycholic acid has been used to dissolve cholesterol gallstones.
CDCA has been used as medical therapy to dissolve gallstones. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Medical therapy with oral bile acids has been used in patients who have small cholesterol stones, and for patients with larger cholesterol gallstones who are unable or reluctant to have surgery.
The gallbladder flush or liver cleanse is an alternative medicine practice involving fasting, followed by the ingestion of some combination of Epsom salt, olive oil, and grapefruit juice, in some cases substituted by other, similar ingredients. [1]
Cholic acid downregulates cholesterol-7-α-hydroxylase (rate-limiting step in bile acid synthesis), and cholesterol does the opposite. This is why chenodeoxycholic acid, and not cholic acid, can be used to treat gallstones (because decreasing bile acid synthesis would supersaturate the stones even more).
3D still showing gallstones. Gallstones form when the bile is saturated, usually with either cholesterol or bilirubin. [20] Most gallstones do not cause symptoms, with stones either remaining in the gallbladder or passed along the biliary system. [21] When symptoms occur, severe "colicky" pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen is often ...
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as ursodiol, is a secondary bile acid, produced in humans and most other species from metabolism by intestinal bacteria.It is synthesized in the liver in some species, and was first identified in bile of bears of genus Ursus, from which its name derived. [8]
Outside the body it is used in experimental basis of cholagogues and is also in use to prevent and dissolve gallstones. [citation needed] In research deoxycholic acid is used as a mild detergent for the isolation of membrane associated proteins. The critical micelle concentration for deoxycholic acid is approximately 2.4–4 mM. [10]