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Although lipids are essential for the optimal activity of the cytochromes P450 monooxygenase system, relatively little is known about the membrane environment in which these enzymes function. One approach used to mimic the structural arrangement of lipids and enzymes within the endoplasmic reticulum is to physically incorporate the cytochromes P450 and their redox partners in a vesicle bilayer of phospholipids. Several methods have been devised for this purpose. This chapter describes a method in which the P450 monooxygenase system is incorporated by first, solubilizing the enzymes and lipid with sodium glycocholate. After the protein and lipid aggregates are dispersed, the detergent is removed by adsorption using BioBeads SM-2 resin which leads to the formation of bilayer vesicles of phospholipid containing incorporated cytochrome P450 and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase. This procedure requires relatively a short preparation time, provides concentrated reconstituted systems that can be used in a wide range of applications, allows for several enzyme samples to be prepared simultaneously so that different conditions can be compared, and results in minimal loss of active enzyme.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography was used to study the behavior of quinine, propranolol, bilirubin, biliverdin dimethyl ester, and xanthobilirubin methyl ester in single and binary bile salt micelle systems comprised of glycocholic acid and glycodeoxycholic acid. Micelle systems studied had total bile salt concentrations in the range of 10-33 mM with molar ratios of 1:0, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 0:1 glycocholic acid:glycodeoxycholic acid. A pH 8.5 phosphate-borate buffer system was used. For all analytes except bilirubin, the smallest migration factors were found in glycocholic acid solutions and the largest in glycodeoxycholic acid solutions. Intermediate migration factors were found for all compounds except bilirubin in the binary bile salt systems. Bilirubin behaved uniquely with its largest migration factors in the binary bile salt mixtures.

Separation of the glycine and taurine conjugates of ursodeoxycholic acid from those of lithocholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and cholic acid by thin-layer chromatography is described. Thus, on running a silica gel G plate first in a solvent system of n-butanol-water 20:3 and then in a second solvent system of chloroform-isopropanol-acetic acid-water 30:20:4:1, all the above-mentioned conjugated bile acids are separated from one another. The application of this method to study the change in the biliary bile acid conjugation pattern in ursodeoxycholic acid-fed gallstone patients is described.

A simple and reproducible method using the non-ionic resin, Amberlite XAD-7, for the isolation of bile acids from serum by a batch procedure is described. Recoveries were greater than 95% for the non-sulphated bile acids and greater than 70% for the sulphate esters of bile acids. By using 1 g of resin, recoveries were independent of the mass (0.1-5 mumol) of the bile acid present. Up to 35 samples a day can be extracted without requiring dedication of the operator. When serum extracts were analysed by the 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase procedure for estimation of bile acids, virtually all the background fluorescence was eliminated. These extracts were also suitable for gas liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and radioimmunoassay.