Contractility of human gallbladder muscle in vitro.

This study examined the effects of transmural nerve stimulation, acetylcholine, adrenoceptor agonists and several peptides on the contractility of strips of human gallbladder in vitro. Acetylcholine caused concentration-related contractions of the tissues and the sensitivity to acetylcholine was similar in gallbladders with mild and severe chronic cholecystitis. Noradrenaline and adrenaline relaxed gallbladder strips, probably via beta 2-adrenoceptor stimulation. Transmural nerve stimulation always caused contractions, but in the presence of atropine inhibitory responses were demonstrable and these were antagonized by propranolol. There was no evidence of non-adrenergic inhibitory neural responses. Of the peptides tested, only cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-OP), gastrin, pentagastrin, substance P and caerulein caused contractions. Responses to CCK-OP, gastrin and pentagastrin were antagonized by dibutyryl cyclic GMP. Hormones which had no effect upon human gallbladder strips included motilin, secretin, bombesin, neurotensin, glucagon, vasopressin, VIP and somatostatin. Considerable differences therefore exist between human tissues and those from experimental animals with respect to the direct actions of neural and hormonal stimuli on gallbladder contractility.