Abstract

The plasma disappearance and biliary excretion of sulfobromophthalein, indocyanine green, procainamide ethobromide and ouabain were compared in control, bile ductligated (BDL) and two-thirds-hepatectomized (⅔-H) rats. Even though the livers of ⅔-H rats weighed only 40 to 45% of controls, ⅔-H rats excreted the four drugs into bile at a rate 60 to 65% of controls and produced bile at a rate 80 to 90% of controls. Both BDL and ⅔-H markedly decreased the rate of disappearance of all four drugs from the plasma, but BDL decreased the plasma clearance of sulfobromophthalein and indocyanine green to a greater extent than did ⅔-H, while the plasma disappearance of procainamide ethobromide and ouabain was more affected by ⅔-H than by BDL. This suggests that the normal plasma disappearance of all four drugs is dependent both on hepatic mass and the transport from liver to bile, but sulfobromophthalein and indocyanine green clearance is more sensitive to interruption of the transfer from liver to bile, whereas clearance of procainamide ethobromide and ouabain is more dependent on hepatic mass.