[Concentrating ability of the gallbladder: a comparative study in some vertebrate species (author's transl)]

The bile salts, chloride, sodium, potassium and nitrogen content of the gallbladder bile was studied in goat, sheep, cattle, pig, rabbit, dog, monkey (Erythrocebus patas), chicken, lizard (Lacerta ocellata), frog (Rana esculenta), trout (Salmo gardnieri) and barbel (Barbus barbus). A significant correlation was found between bile salts and sodium (positive), chloride and sodium (negative) and chloride and bile salts (negative). The gallbladder concentrating ability was very high in monkey, lizard and trout high in dog, barbel, frog and chicken, and low in cattle, rabbit, pig and sheep. The goat was half way between the second and third groups. It seems that concentrating ability is greater in animals whose gastric emptying is intermittent, and is lower in those animals with a continuous digestive activity.