Labile quaternary ammonium salts useful in binding bile acids in

Abstract

Free and conjugated bile acids are effectively bound in warm-blooded animals by administering thereto, a therapeutically effective bile acid binding amount of a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula: ##STR1## wherein >N represents a tertiary open chain or cyclic aliphatic amine; wherein >N represents an unsaturated amine; wherein R represents a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 open chain or cyclo alkyl group, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkoxyalkyl group, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkanoyloxyalkyl group, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 haloalkyl group, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 carboxyalkyl group, an aryl group, and a substituted aryl group, whose substituents are selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, an O--C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, an O--C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkanoyl group, a nitro group, a carboxyl group, and a carboethoxy group; wherein R.sub.1, which may be the same or different, represents any member defined by R above with the proviso that R cannot be a hydrogen atom, a ##STR2## WHEREIN R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group, a C.sub.0 -C.sub.22 straight or branched ##STR3## WHEREIN N IN EACH OCCURRENCE AND M REPRESENT AN INTEGER OF FROM 0 TO 22, AN ##STR4## WHEREIN A represents a C.sub.0 -C.sub.22 straight or branched alkyl group as above or a --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.p group, wherein the p represents an integer of from 0 to 22, and the residue of any naturally occurring bile acid or synthetic derivative thereof; and wherein X.sup.- represents a halogen atom or any other organic or inorganic monovalent anion are disclosed. These compounds are relatively nontoxic and substantially bind bile acids in warm-blooded animals and thus reduce the ulcerogenic symptoms exhibited by those characterized as being ulcer-prone.