A fluorescence histochemical study for the motility of the gallbladder

For the purpose of elucidating the motility, particularly the mechanism of contraction of the gallbladder, we classified gallbladders isolated surgically into three groups for a study. That is, the three groups comprised Group I of 40 cases of cholelithiasis with good contraction, Group II of 10 cases of cholelithiasis with poor contraction and Group III of 10 cases of cholelithiasis after gastrectomy for a total of 60 cases. Using gallbladders of these cases, we started with a fundamental study on the autonomic nervous action by the fluorescence histochemical method of Flack and Hillarp and obtained results as follows. Similar results were obtained for Group I and Group II; the gallbladder was subjected to adrenergic innervation and cholinergic innervation, and there was a clear localized difference between true-cholinesterase and pseudo-cholinesterase of the cholinergic nerve. In Group III, proliferation of adrenergic nerve was observed compared with Groups I and II, while disappearance of cholinergic nerve was seen. The gallbladder of Group III showed slight contraction with cholecystokinin, but it was not blocked with atropine.