Question

For a certain drug, the bile flow rate is 0.7 ml/mm, the biliary drug concentration is 2g/ml and the plasma drug concentration is 0.8g/ml. What will be the bile clearance?

(a) 1.50 ml/mm

(b) 1.75 ml/mm

(c) 2.75 ml/mm

(d) 3 ml/mm

This question was posed to me at a job interview.

My question is taken from Drugs Excretion topic in division Prodrugs & Excretion of Drugs of Drug Biotechnology

Answer 1

Right option is (b) 1.75 ml/mm

For explanation: The equation for bile clearance is biliary excretion rate/ plasma drug concentration. Since biliary excretion can also be written as bile flow * biliary drug concentration. The other equation for bile clearance is bile flow * biliary drug concentration/ plasma drug concentration. Thus the answer is 0.7*2*0.8=1.75 ml/mm.