Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA; also known as chenodesoxycholic acid, chenocholic acid and 3α,7α-dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid) is a bile acid. Salts of this carboxylic acid are called chenodeoxycholates. Chenodeoxycholic acid is one of the main bile acids.[1][2][3] It was first isolated from the bile of the domestic goose, which gives it the "cheno" portion of its name (Greek: χήν = goose).[4]
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. CDCA treatment can cause diarrhea, mild reversible hepatic injury, and a small increase in the plasma cholesterol level.[8]
CDCA has been used in several other conditions.[10] As diarrhea is frequent when CDCA is used in gallstonedissolution, it has been studied as a possible treatment for constipation and has been shown to accelerate colonic transit and improve bowel function.[11]
The Australian biotechnology company Giaconda has tested a treatment for hepatitis C infection that combines chenodeoxycholic acid with bezafibrate.[12]
^Carey MC (December 1975). "Editorial: Cheno and urso: what the goose and the bear have in common". N. Engl. J. Med. 293 (24): 1255–7. doi:10.1056/NEJM197512112932412. PMID1186807.
^Thistle JL, Hofmann AF (September 1973). "Efficacy and specificity of chenodeoxycholic acid therapy for dissolving gallstones". N. Engl. J. Med. 289 (13): 655–9. doi:10.1056/NEJM197309272891303. PMID4580472.
^ abHofmann, AF (September 1989). "Medical dissolution of gallstones by oral bile acid therapy". American Journal of Surgery. 158 (3): 198–204. doi:10.1016/0002-9610(89)90252-3. PMID2672842.
^Berginer VM, Salen G, Shefer S (December 1984). "Long-term treatment of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis with chenodeoxycholic acid". N. Engl. J. Med. 311 (26): 1649–52. doi:10.1056/NEJM198412273112601. PMID6504105.
^Broughton, G II (January 1994). "Chenodeoxycholate: the bile acid. The drug. a review". The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. 307 (1): 54–63. doi:10.1097/00000441-199401000-00011. PMID8291509.