title: Unexpected dilatation of the common bile duct after methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in rabbits. Possible implications to findings in man.
abstract: Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) rapidly dissolves cholesterol gall stones in vitro and in vivo. To further characterise tolerability and safety of this aliphatic ether, either MTBE (1 ml/kg body wt daily for two days) or an equal amount of saline was infused into the common bile duct (CBD) of eight cholecystectomised rabbits. Transient vomiting, dyspnoea and somnolence developed during MTBE instillation. Post-treatment values of serum transaminases and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in MTBE than in saline treated animals. Cholangiography one week after the last intraductal infusion showed a five-fold increase of CBD size in MTBE v control rabbits. At autopsy histological signs of chemical cholangitis and mild duodenitis were noted in MTBE treated animals. Prompted by these findings, we performed a cholangiography in two patients who had received intraductal MTBE (about 0.2 ml/kg body wt daily for one or two days) one year before: an abnormal dilatation of the CBD was present, which might represent a specific, hitherto undescribed permanent sequela of MTBE administration.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Surgical Pathology, University of Milan School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tritapepe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caspani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Padova
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002758:Cholangiography; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000187:drug effects*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000139:chemically induced; D004987:Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D004987:Ethers; D008738:Methyl Ethers; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase