Bile acid stimulation of cyclic AMP and ion transport in developing rabbit colon.

Bile acids elicit Cl secretion and increases in short circuit current (Isc) in rabbit distal colon in vitro in adult but not newborn animals. In this investigation we found that concentrations of taurodeoxycholic acid (TDC) as low as 50 microM significantly increase cyclic AMP (cAMP) in adult but not newborn colon. Further, blocking the increases of cAMP in adult colon with 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate 8-(N,N-dimethylamino) octyl ester (TMB-8), partially inhibited the effect of TDC on Cl secretion. TMB-8 did not block the effect of increases in cAMP seen with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), theophylline, or forskolin. When newborn colon was exposed to 1 mM TDC, limited Cl secretion was elicited. Increased cAMP is not seen in newborn colon where TDC-induced secretion is absent. Thus, increases in cAMP may represent one part of the coupling of TDC stimulation to Cl secretion.