In vivo gallbladder absorption: a new dual-isotope technique

Available methods for measuring in vivo gallbladder absorption preclude the use of animals in which hepatic bile enters the gallbladder via accessory or aberrant channels. However, accessory bile ducts are present in many of the animal models currently used in gallstone research. The aim of this study, therefore, was to evaluate a new dual-isotope technique that corrects for accessory bile flow and to compare data on electrolyte and water absorption with those derived from the standard, single-isotope technique. Prairie dogs underwent gallbladder exclusion by cystic duct ligation and common bile duct cannulation. Carbon 14-polyethylene glycol-labeled lactated Ringer's solution was instilled into the gallbladder while tritiated cholic acid was administered intravenously to label the bile acid pool. There is no correlation between water or electrolyte absorption and time, nor between water and electrolyte absorption, when these parameters are calculated by the standard, single-isotope technique. In contrast, use of the dual-isotope technique quantifies accessory bile duct flow and yields a linear increase in water and electrolyte absorption, both of which are time dependent. These data suggest that the dual-isotope technique provides a means to accurately measure in vivo gallbladder absorption in animals with or without accessory bile ducts.