The role of eicosanoids in experimental and clinical gallbladder disease

The mammalian gallbladder has been shown by many authors to synthesize and release arachidonic acid metabolites. Many factors influence gallbladder eicosanoid release including sex of the animal, neural influences, age of the animal, pathologic stimuli (gallstones, inflammation), chemical mediators, hormones and the presence of hypercholesterolemia. The net result of these factors is release of gallbladder eicosanoids which act as paracrine substances to influence the gallbladder physiologic functions of water transport and motility. This review examines the experimental in vivo and in vitro experimental studies that have examined the various factors that alter mammalian gallbladder eicosanoid release in normal and pathologic states.