Taurohyocholic acid (THCA) is a taurine-conjugated form of the porcine-specific primary bile acid hyocholic acid .1 THCA inhibits precipitation of cholesterol crystals by stabilizing cholesterol in the liquid-crystalline phase.2 It prevents cholestasis and cellular necrosis induced by taurolithocholic acid in isolated rat livers.3 THCA levels are increased in the urine of patients with hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis.4
1.WahlstrÖm, A., Sayin, S.I., Marschall, H.-I., et al.Intestinal crosstalk between bile acids and microbiota and its impact on host metabolismCell Metab.24(1)41-50(2016) 2.Juste, C., Catala, I., Henry, R., et al.Influence of bile salt molecular species on cholesterol crystallization from supersaturated model bilesBiochim. Biophys. Acta.1254(1)89-97(1995) 3.Scholmerich, J., Kitamura, S., Baumgartner, U., et al.Taurohyocholate, taurocholate, and tauroursodeoxycholate but not tauroursocholate and taurodehydrocholate counteract effects of taurolithocholate in rat liverRes. Exp. Med. (Berl.)190(2)121-129(1990) 4.Wang, X., Xie, G., Zhao, A., et al.Serum bile acids are associated with pathological progression of hepatitis B-induced cirrhosisJ. Proteome Res.15(4)1126-1134(2016)