Ursodiol (trade names Actigall, Ursofalk, Urso Forte) is a bile acid found in large quantities in bear bile; it also occurs naturally in human bile in smaller quantities. The commercial drug is synthesized, it is not derived from animals. It reduces cholesterol absorption and is used to dissolve gallstones in patients who want an alternative to surgery, as well as the recommeded treatment for Primary biliary cirrhosis and other cholestatic diseases. IUPAC nomenclature is a systematic way of naming organic chemical compounds. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Carbon, C, 6 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14 (IVA), 2, p Density, Hardness 2267 kg/m3 0. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 1 , s Density, Hardness 0. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16 (VIA), 2, p Density, Hardness 1. ... The molecular mass of a substance (less accurately called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW) is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences and alloys. ... The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... link title Headline text Bold textItalic textItalic textInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here--220. ... Bile (or gall) is a bitter, greenish-yellow alkaline fluid secreted by the liver of most vertebrates. ... An acid (often represented by the generic formula AH) is typically a water-soluble, sour-tasting chemical compound. ... For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ... Cholesterol is a steroid lipid, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ... In medicine, gallstones are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components. ... A patient is the name given to any person who is ill or injured and is being treated by, or in need of treatment by, a physician or other medical professional. ... Surgery Surgery (from the Greek cheirourgia - lit. ... Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease of the liver marked by the slow progressive destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. ...

External links

• Ursodiol information (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a699047.html) at MedlinePlus