Effect of the menstrual cycle on gallbladder fasting volume and postprandial emptying in nulliparous young females.
OBJECTIVE
Reports on the effect of the ovulatory cycle on gallbladder motility are inconsistent. The authors investigated the gallbladder motor function at both phases of the menstrual cycle in humans.


METHODS
Seventeen young, healthy, nulliparous women participated in the study. Gallbladder fasting volume and postprandial emptying were measured twice in each subject using real-time ultrasonography: one at the follicular (12th-13th day) and another at the luteal (21st-22nd day) phases. From the emptying curves, the duration of the lag phase and the ejection fraction of emptying were calculated.


RESULTS
Fasting volume was significantly greater (P = 0.025) at the luteal (14.8 +/- 8 mL standard deviation [SD]) than at the follicular (11.2 +/- 4.7 mL SD) phase. Although the lag phase duration was longer (P = 0.009) at the follicular (5.2 +/- 6.4 SD minutes) than the luteal (1.6 +/- 3.6 minutes SD) phase, the ejection fraction was significantly greater at the latter one (follicular phase: 62 +/- 13.2% SD; luteal phase: 73.4 +/- 14% SD; P = 0.0085).


CONCLUSIONS
Female sex hormones seem to biologically affect the gallbladder motor function.
Xynos
E
E
Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion Medical School, University of Crete, Greece.
Haroulakis
N
N
Petrakis
I
I
Damilakis
J
J
Vassilakis
J S
JS
Gourtsoyiannis
N
N
D000328:Adult; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D016473:Gallbladder Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D010298:Parity; D019518:Postprandial Period; D014463:Ultrasonography