抄録
Cholesterol cholelithiasis is one of the most rapidly increasing digestive diseases during the past 50 years in Japan . Although the etiology of gallstones is multifactorial, gallbladder dysmotility accelerated nucleation of cholesterol crystals in the gallbladder. Gallbladder contraction mainly depends on cholecystokinin (CCK)(via CCK-ARs). We have generated CCK-AR knockout (-/-) mice and found that one third of CCK-AR(-/-) male mice, not all, showed sludge and gallstone formation. The present study was designed to determine how much the gallbladder dysmotility contributed to gallstone formation as a primary cause and whether sex difference existed in gallstone formation, comparing CCK-AR(-/-) male and female mice, because it has been believed that gallstones were more popular in women than men. No sludge or gallstone formation was observed in any mouse at 6 months of age. The frequency of sludge and gallstone formation at 12 and 24 months of age tended to be higher in female CCK-AR(-/-) mice than the males, but the difference was not significant. In summary, the gallbladder dysmotility alone could accelerate sludge and gallstone formation, but its contribution to sludge and gallstone formation was limited below 50%. The 12-month-duration was required to produce gallstones, and after 12 months of age, ageing did not further increase the frequency of sludge and gallstone formation. No significant sex difference in the frequency of sludge and gallstone formation was observed. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S177]
