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Early stages of gallstone formation in guinea pig are associated with decreased biliary sensitivity to cholecystokinin

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure differences in gallbladder sensitivity to cholecystokinin (CCK)in vivo during the early stages of gallstone formation and to correlate these findings to gallbladder CCK receptors. Guinea pigs were placed on either a normal diet or a two-week cholelithogenic diet, after which gallbladder emptying pressure to exogenously administered CCK was measuredin vivo, according to the presence or absence of gallstones. At all doses of CCK tested (except 10−10 mol/kg), the gallbladder response to CCK of guinea pigs that did not develop gallstones (on the cholelithogenic diet) was more sensitive than that of guinea pigs that did develop gallstones. Neither group was different from guinea pigs on a normal diet. In a second experiment, CCK receptors were measured on gallbladder muscularis from guinea pigs after two weeks on the same diet as in the first experiment. Those guinea pigs that did not develop gallstones had greater concentrations of CCK receptors (149±9 fmol/mg protein) than those that did develop gallstones (70±23 fmol/mg protein). Neither group was different from normal diet guinea pigs (119±57 fmol/mg protein). At the time point measured, there were no differences in the lipid chemistry, or protein concentrations of gallbladder bile between the guinea pigs on the cholelithogenic diet that did or did not develop gallstones, or those on normal guinea pig chow. We conclude that the early stages of gallstone formation in guinea pigs are associated with decreased gallbladder sensitivity to CCK and that this change may be due to a lower concentration of CCK receptors on the gallbladder smooth muscle.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. G. J. Poston FRCS (Visiting Scientist)

    Present address: Department of Surgery, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, London, England

  2. C. Z. Yao MD (Visiting Scientist)

    Present address: the Department of Surgery, Capital Hospital, Beijing, China

  3. G. Gomez MD (Visiting Scientist)

    Present address: the Department of Gastroenterology, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 77555-0527, Galveston, Texas

    G. J. Poston FRCS (Visiting Scientist), Pomila Singh PhD, E. Draviam PhD, C. Z. Yao MD (Visiting Scientist), G. Gomez MD (Visiting Scientist) &  J. C. Thompson MD

Authors
  1. G. J. Poston FRCS
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  2. Pomila Singh PhD
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  4. C. Z. Yao MD
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  6. J. C. Thompson MD
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Additional information

Supported by the Wellcome Foundation, Ethicon Foundation, and British Digestive Foundation

Supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (5R37 DK 15241-19, P01 DK 35608, and CA 38657)

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Poston, G.J., Singh, P., Draviam, E. et al. Early stages of gallstone formation in guinea pig are associated with decreased biliary sensitivity to cholecystokinin. Digest Dis Sci 37, 1236–1244 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296566

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296566

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