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Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Mechanism of action: Ursodeoxycholic acid reduces the ratio of cholesterol to bile salts plus phospholipids in bile, causing desaturation of cholesterol saturated bile. The exact mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated.
Pharmacokinetics: Ursodeoxycholic acid is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and undergoes enterohepatic recycling. It is partly conjugated in the liver before being excreted into the bile. Under the influence of intestinal bacteria the free and conjugated forms undergo 7a-dehydroxylation to lithocholic acid, some of which is excreted directly in the faeces and the rest absorbed and mainly conjugated and sulfated by the liver before excretion in the faeces. However, in comparison with chenodeoxycholic acid, less ursodeoxycholic acid undergoes such bacterial degradation.
