Phosphatidylcholine-enriched diet prevents gallstone formation in mice susceptible to cholelithiasis

Abstract

Cholesterol gallstones affect approximately 10-15% of the adult population in North America. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is considered to be the main cholesterol solubilizer in bile. This study examined the effect of a PCenriched diet on gallstone incidence in mice susceptible to cholelithiasis. The result obtained showed that the feeding of a lithogenic (LG) diet for 4 weeks or 8 weeks resulted in cholesterol gallstone incidences of 47% and 89%, respectively. These gallstone incidences were either reduced or prevented when the LG diet was enriched with 2% or 6% PC, respectively. The cholesterol saturation index (CSI) was reduced only in mice fed with LG ؉ 6% PC diet as compared with mice fed the LG diet alone. However, in all groups, the CSI was significantly higher than in mice fed Purina chow diet. The biliary anionic polypeptide fraction (APF) was significantly increased in mice fed the LG ؉ 2% PC diet and was reduced in those fed with LG ؉ 6% PC diet. In conclusion, prevention or delay of gallstone formation was not due to a consistent effect on biliary lipid composition, suggesting a direct effect of PC on cholesterol solubilization and/or the effect of an additional nonlipid biliary component such as APF.

Clinical Efficacy Analysis of the Combination of the Laparoscope and Preoperative or Intraoperative Duodenoscope in the Treatment of Cholecystolithiasis with Choledocholithiasis: A Retrospective Study

“…Cholelithiasis, which is considered as a common disease in the clinic, is caused by several factors like metabolic abnormalities and lifestyle habits and it usually consists of cholesterol and pigments. 1,2 According to the site of lithiasis, cholelithiasis is mainly divided into cholecystolithiasis, hepatolithiasis, and extrahepatic bile duct stones. Cholelithiasis is known as one of the most prevalent surgical ailments that clinical surgeons encounter during clinical practice; about 10%–15% of adults suffer from cholelithiasis in the United States.…”

Gallstone formation analysis using the particle appearance, the particle binding to calcium ions, and the cholesterol nucleation with time in supersaturated taurocholate–lecithin–calcium ion solutions

“…In contrast, an increase in the total concentration of L in supersaturated bile might decrease the ChA T value to~1.05, as the TC/L = 2.0 system, and prevented the Ch nucleation regardless of the presence of calcium ions. This implies that, under an increase in L secretion for the supersaturated bile, Ch gallstones may not be formed, [38] similar to the administration of ursodiol for the prevention of Ch gallstones. [42][43][44] For bile containing rich amount of L, the activity of calcium at high L concentration was slightly lower than that at low L concentration.…”

“…[5,6,36,37] On the other hand, humans in healthy condition and under phosphatidylcholine-enriched diet or chenodiol administration, an increase in L secretion and a decrease in Ch secretion in the bile might greatly cause a high Ch solubility (i.e., a low CSI), in contrast to increase in the L secretion only for choline-enriched diet. [10,38,39] More evidences showed that the administration of soy L had significantly reduced the absorption of Ch for hypercholesterolemic patients. [40,41] Therefore, a low ChA T (~1.05) bile similar to the supersaturated TC/L = 2.0 and CSI < 1.5 system was formed.…”

Modulation of Cholesterol Crystallization in Bile. Implications for Non- Surgical Treatment of Cholesterol Gallstone Disease

“…In a clinical study, biliary cholesterol crystallization or lipid solubilization did not change with dietary modification [49]. On the other hand, a recent study by the group of Yousef [50] has shown that feeding PC-enriched diet (2% or 6% PC), cholesterol gallstone formation was reduced or prevented in cholesterol gallstone susceptible mice fed a lithogenic diet. Interestingly, although no changes in net biliary secretion of PC were observed in those mice, PC-enriched diet resulted in increased bile flow and one-phase micellar zone of the ternary phase diagram with subsequent decrease in cholesterol saturation index.…”