BILE-PIGMENTS IN HUMANS AND IN NONHUMAN-PRIMATES DURING PERINATAL PERIOD - COMPOSITION OF MECONIUM AND GALLBLADDER BILE OF NEWBORNS AND ADULTS

Meconium of human infants and rhesus monkey infants (Macaca mulatta) contained only about 0.10 of the amount of bilirubin in gallbladder bile of the same individuals. Of the bilirubin in adult bile 99% was conjugated. The proportion of conjugated bilirubin in infant bile and meconium was only slightly lower. Adult bile contained more bilirubin diconjugates than monoconjugates; only 20% of the bilirubin in infant bile and meconium was in the form of diconjugates. The predominant azopigment in adult bile was azopigment .delta. (a glucuronide). Infant bile contained less azopigment .delta., more azopigment .alpha. (azodipyrrole) and a still unidentified conjugated azopigment (azopigment .beta.). Azopigment .beta. was also found in meconium but adult gallbladder bile contained only trace amounts of this pigment. The pigments in adult human bile, infant bile and meconium were compared with corresponding specimens from nonhuman primates. The suitability of an animal model for an investigation of this aspect of neonatal bilirubin metabolism was studied.