Determination of total 3α-hydroxy bile acids in serum by a bioluminescent flow-injection system using a hollow-fibre reactor

A continuous-flow bioluminescence method for measuring total 3α-hydroxy bile acids in serum is described. A bacterial luciferase and NADH:FMN oxidoreductase are covalently co-immobilized on a CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. A permeable membrane (hollow fibre) reactor is used for the introduction of NAD⁺ and bioluminescent reagent. The reagent permeates into the flow-stream due to the existing difference in ionic strength. The continuous-flow light-emitting system, in which the column filled with the immobilized bioluminescent enzyme is placed in front of a photomultiplier tube inside a photon counter, is versatile and simple. The technique was tested by comparing results with those obtained by fluorimetry. More than 20 samples an hour can be analyzed. Normal values for total bile acids content serum ranged from 1.0 to 7.5 μM, in agreement with those obtained by the other method. Excellent reproducibility, precision, and sensitivity are achieved.