The general function of the gall bladder. Do species lacking a gall bladder possess its functional equivalent? the bile and pigment output of various species of animals

Abstract

A study by Mann arid others ( '17 to '20) of the morphology of the extrahepatic biliary passages in species with and without a gall bladder revealed no differences bearing on the functional significance of the organ. However, on studying the choledocho-duodenal sphincteric mechanism in these two classes of animals, a definite difference was found. The pressure in the common bile duct required to overcome the sphincteric resistance mas distinctly less in animals devoid of a gall bladder.&Master ('22) directed his attention to the possibilitj-that animals which do not possess a gall bladder may concentrate bile in the hepatic ducts. H e used the common mouse which has a gall bladder and the rat which does not. McAlaster made the interesting observation that rat's hepatic bile contains eight times more pigment than that of the mouse, although the volume of bile secreted per gram of liver was about the same in both animals. Thus, i t appeared as if the liver of the rat secretes a concentrated bile and may possess in its intrahepatic mechanism the functional equivalent of the gall bladder. This suggested the hypothesis that animals not having a gall bladder may compensate for its absence by secreting a concentrated bile. This possibility was supported by Higgins' study of the morphology of the intrahepatic duct system of the r a t and iiiouse ( '26). He found that although the rat, even in embryo, 365

Absorption of Bile Pigments by the Gall Bladder*

“…The present studies confirm the speculation of Riegel et al (40) that absorption and decay of bile pigments contribute to the formation of "white bile" in the totally obstructed gall bladder (40)(41)(42) or biliary tree (43)(44)(45)(46). It has been shown here that the loss of pigment results from: (a) hydrolysis of conjugated bilirubin to the unconjugated form, which is then absorbed; and (b) decay of bilirubin to colorless derivatives, which are in part absorbed.…”

“…These data contravert the contention that mucosal damage (40,44,46) or overt bacterial infection (47, 48) is essential for "white bile" formation. They also invalidate the use of relative bilirubin contents to assess the ability of the gall bladder to concentrate hepatic bile (45).…”

Preventive Effect of Orally or Intramuscularly Administered Anti-oxidants against Encephalomalacia in the Starting Chicks Induced by Feeding Dilauryl Succinate

“…Therefore, it will be agreeable to say that enlargement of the gallbladder was not caused by feeding DLS, but caused by starvation condition of the chicks suffering from encephalomalacia since they could not behave freely or eat diet because of paralysis of nervous system. Schmidt and I vy 14) reported that starvation reduced the rate of secretion of bile into the small intestine, accompanied by concentration of bile in the gallbladder, and this phenomenon has been often observed in our laboratory. From the experimental fact described above, it will be proper to judge that poor efficiency of vitamin E administered orally will be attributable to its property labile to be destroyed, such as in the diet or digestive canal.…”

The Presence of NHE1 and NHE3 Na+‐H+ Exchangers and an Apical cAMP‐Independent Cl− Channel Indicate that Both Absorptive and Secretory Functions are Present in Calf Gall Bladder Epithelium

“…However, the presence of apical chloride channels, paralleled by the observation that the bile is not concentrated, as a result of undergoing rearrangements in composition (Schmidt & Ivy, 1937;Caseby et al 1995), strongly suggests the presence in bovine gall bladder epithelium of fluid-secreting mechanisms other than those involved in mucus production or induced by pathological responses (Igimi et al 1992;Nunes et al 1995).…”

“…Bovine gall bladder, unlike that of most mammal species, does not concentrate bile (Schmidt & Ivy, 1937). Yet the differences in ion composition between hepatic bile and gall bladder bile (Caseby, 1995) and the presence of H + secretory mechanisms (Hussain et al 1995) indicate the presence of ion traffic through the apical membrane.…”