Effect of cold stress on gallbladder contractility in humans

The effect of cold stress in the form of repeated hand immersion in ice cold water or repeated application to a hand of extremely cold - nitrogen gas, at a temperature of -180 degrees C (93 K), on the emptying of a meal-stimulated gallbladder was examined in seven healthy volunteers of both sexes. The control procedure consisted of repeated application to a hand of air at neutral temperatures (+35 degrees(-)+37 degrees C). Each subject underwent three examinations on separate days, the procedures being applied in random order. Gallbladder volume was measured by means of real-time ultrasonography. Measurements of volumes of the fasted gallbladder were also made on the three study days and gave similar values: 20.3 cm3, SEM 2.7 (control), 22.1 cm3, SEM 2.5 (cryotherapy), and 20.0 cm3, SEM 2.5 (cold immersion), F(2, 12) = 2.47, P greater than 0.1. A significant delaying effect of cold stress on postprandial gallbladder contractility was observed: F(2, 72) = 7.44, P less than 0.005, and F(2, 72) = 4.45, P less than 0.025 for gallbladder volume and ejection fraction, respectively. A significant difference was detected between the local application of cold gas and the control procedure (P less than 0.005) and local cryotherapy and the cold pressor test (P less than 0.05) in the case of the postprandial gallbladder volume, as well as between the local application of cold gas and the control procedure (P less than 0.025) for the ejection fraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)