One of the etioloic actors in the formation of cholesterol gallstones is the supersaturation of gallbladder bile with cholesterol. However, this factor does not complete the explanation. The bile stasis in the gallbladder may also play a role in
the
formation of the cholesterol gallstones by supplying the time for nucleation of cholesterol crystal. The present study evaluated the gallbladder emptying in response to a fatty meal by ultrasonography in 11 patients with asymptomatic gallstones
and
normal control group of 13 healthy subjects. Of the eleven patients with gallstones, five had radiolucent stones and six had radioopaque stones. Additionally, we also evaluated the effect of nifedipinem calcium-channel blocker, on gallbladder
contraction in both patients with gallstones and control group.
The gallbladder was significantly contracted in control group by the fatty meal but not by water(p<0.01). The contraction of gallbladder by fat meal in gallstone group was significantly decreased comparing with that in control group(p<0.01). The
time of
maximum contraction was delayed in patients with gallstones. Dividing the patients with gallstones into the radiolucent stones and the radioopaque stones(p<0.05). The gallbladder contraction in patients with gallstones and control group was
significantly blocked with a pretreatment of oral niedipine(p<0.01).
In conclusion, the more significant decrease of gallbladder contraction in patients with radiolucent stones may be interpretated as the possible factor of pathogenesis of the cholesterol stone. Additionally, the calcium ion may be related to
gallbladder
contraction, and nifedipine could lessen the gallbladder contractions in both controls and patients with gallstones.(Korean J Gastroenterol 1994 ; 26 : 944-951)
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