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Enterohepatic Recycling

Meaning

Enterohepatic Recycling describes the cyclical process by which substances, including certain hormones and their metabolites, are initially secreted from the liver into the bile, passed into the small intestine, and subsequently reabsorbed back into the portal circulation to return to the liver. This physiological loop effectively prolongs the half-life and duration of action of these compounds, influencing their overall systemic exposure and clearance rates. It is a significant factor in the pharmacokinetics of many orally administered medications and endogenously produced steroids. Understanding this pathway is crucial for predicting hormone bioavailability.