Effect of cigarette smoking on gallbladder emptying and filling in man.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of cigarette smoking on gallbladder (GB) emptying and refilling after a fatty meal was examined in 10 healthy volunteers (four women and six men, mean age 27.6 yr).


METHODS
On three different days, the subjects underwent in randomized order: a control test without smoking (C), or they smoked two cigarettes during the early (0-20 min; S0-20), or late (20-40 min; S20-40) phase of the meal-induced GB emptying. GB volumes were measured ultrasonographically before the meal and at 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min postprandially. Two-way ANOVA was applied for statistical assessment of the results.


RESULTS
The fasted GB volumes amounted to 15.7 +/- 1.8 cm3 (C), 15.0 +/- 1.7 cm3 (S0-20), and 18.4 +/- 2.3 cm3 (S20-40), F2;18 = 1.524, NS. Maximum GB emptying was observed until 60 min after the meal, with a nadir of the GB volume amounting to 7.3 +/- 1.3 cm3 (C), 6.6 +/- 1.2 cm3 (S0-20), and 7.1 +/- 1.1 cm3 (S20-40). No significant difference was found between the stimuli tested when absolute GB volumes were considered: F2;180 = 2.725, NS. Analysis of the GB emptying-refilling curves normalized for the fasted GB volume revealed that a significant inhibitory effect was produced by smoking two cigarettes during the late phase of GB emptying on the subsequent GB refilling: F2;162 = 11.066, p < 0.001 for the whole curve, and F2;72 = 7.126, p < 0.005 for the refilling phase. A significant contrast was found next between S20-40 and the control day (p < 0.001 whole curve; p < 0.005 refilling phase only), as well as between S20-40 and S0-20 (p < 0.001 whole curve; p < 0.025 refilling phase only).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that smoking two cigarettes does not disturb the fatty meal-induced GB contraction in healthy humans. Subsequent GB refilling is delayed if smoking takes place during the late phase of the postprandial GB contraction.
Jonderko
K
K
Department of Gastroenterology, Silesian School of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
Nowak
A
A
Kasicka-Jonderko
A
A
Błaszczyńska
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004435:Eating; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*