EXPERIMENTS ON THE ISOLATED WHOLE GALL BLADDER OF THE DOG

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Abstract
A specially constructed cannula permitted accurate estimation, at any time, of the fluid content of the viscus and the measurement of the movements in terms of hydrostatic pressure. Spontaneous rhythmic contractions were obtained regularly and tonic contractions occasionally. The former represented a power to displace a column of about 0.1-2.3 cc. of Locke''s solution against a hydrostatic pressure of approximately 13-16.5 cm. of the same fluid, and occurred at a rate of 1-3 or more per min. Tonic contractions rarely occurred spontaneously and rarely reached a higher level than that representing a power to displace more than a column of 1-2 cc. of Locke''s solution, under the same conditions. The effect of histamine, pilocarpine and atropine was about the same as on smooth muscle in general. The effect of epinephrine was inconstant, affecting sometimes only the tonus or the rhythmic contractions and sometimes both. Pituitrin, cholecystokinin [Ivy-Oldberg] and Koehler''s extract of the suprarenal cortex had no appreciable influence upon either the tonus or the rhythmic contractions. When the fluid content of the gall bladder was increased or decreased, adjustment of tonus soon occurred and the pressure in the viscus eventually returned to about its previous level and the curve gradually resumed its former shape. This latter observation strongly suggests that the function of the muscular coat of the gall bladder is that of effecting adjustment in size to the varying content, rather than the emptying of the viscus.

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