Bile acids are physiological detergents that generate bile flow and facilitate intestinal
absorption and transport of lipids, nutrients, and vitamins. Bile acids also are signaling
molecules and inflammatory agents that rapidly activate nuclear receptors and cell signaling
pathways that regulate lipid, glucose, and energy metabolism. The enterohepatic circulation
of bile acids exerts important physiological functions not only in feedback inhibition of bile
acid synthesis but also in control of whole-body lipid homeostasis. In the liver, bile acids …