cholate

Cholate is a naturally occurring bile acid primarily utilized as a diagnostic agent in quantitative liver function tests, such as the HepQuant SHUNT and HepQuant DuO assays. These minimally-invasive tests measure the hepatic uptake and clearance of cholate from both systemic and portal circulations to assess global liver function, physiology, and portal-systemic shunting. The data derived from cholate clearance are used to generate a Disease Severity Index (DSI), which correlates with the stage of fibrosis, presence of varices, and risk for future clinical outcomes. The FDA has designated the HepQuant SHUNT test, which incorporates cholate, as an investigational drug/device combination product. Cholate is administered orally and/or intravenously for these diagnostic purposes. Beyond its diagnostic application, cholate and its salts (e.g., sodium cholate) are also studied in various biological contexts, including their roles as metabolites in conditions like aplastic anemia and IgA vasculitis, their interactions with gut microbiota, and their use in material science for applications like supercapacitors and sensing platforms.