Bile flow, bile salt secretion and the excretion of iron, copper, zinc and manganese in the bile of calves infected with Fasciola hepatica.

The rate of flow of bile and the concentrations of iron, copper, zinc and manganese in bile were measured in four bull calves, before and for at least 23 weeks after infection with 1000 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica. Bile flow rate began to increase about 10 weeks after infection and had increased nearly three-fold by 23 weeks but bile salt (total-cholate) secretion rate remained similar to that of two control calves. The excretion of iron in bile increased rapidly eight weeks after infection from a mean of 21.5 nmol per minute to reach 469 nmol per minute at 14 weeks and this increase was accompanied by an increase in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in plasma. 59Fe studies showed that most of the iron in the bile of infected calves was derived from red blood cells. There were no changes in the excretion of zinc, copper or manganese in bile which could be associated with the infection.