Kiyohiko Tsurumi

A Fluorescence histochemical study for the motility of the gallbladder

SummaryFor the purpose of elucidating the motility, particularly the mechanism of contraction of the gallbladder, we classified gallbladders isolated surgically into three groups for a study. That is, the three groups comprised Group I of 40 cases of cholelithiasis with good contraction, Group II of 10 cases of cholelithiasis with poor contraction and Group III of 10 cases of cholelithiasis after gastrectomy for a total of 60 cases. Using gallbladders of these cases, we started with a fundamental study on the autonomic nervous action by the fluorescence histochemical method of Flack and Hillarp and obtained results as follows.Similar results were obtained for Group I and Group II; the gallbladder was subjected to adrenergic innervation and cholinergic innervation, and there was a clear localized difference between true-cholinesterase and pseudo-cholinesterase of the cholinergic nerve. In Group III, proliferation of adrenergic nerve was observed compared with Groups I and II, while disappearance of cholinergic nerve was seen. The gallbladder of Group HI showed slight contraction with cholecystokinin, but it was not blocked with atropine.

Adrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the common bile duct in men and cats.

SummaryTo clarify whether or not the common bile duct (CBD) has peristaltic movement, the muscular structure and intrinsic innervation were investigated for the full length of the CBD in 50 fresh human autopsy specimens and 50 cats. Nearly the same results were obtained in control groups of humans and cats. 1) Abundant sympathetic noradrenergic innervation, mainly composed of two plexuses, was demonstrated in each layer of the common bile duct tissue. 2) Parasympathetic nervous innervation was also abundant in each layer of the common bile duct and was composed of two ganglionated cholinergic plexuses. 3) Human and cat ganglia were composed of several nerve cells, which were mostly of Dogiel type II. 4) No other biogenic monoamines than adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) were detected. 5) Digestive tract hormones were undetectable. 6) The presense of smooth muscle was confirmed all along the common bile duct in all cases. The muscular tissue of the CBD was more abundant in humans than in cats. 7) The results of quantitation of catecholamine and acetylcholine esterase in the common bile duct tissue demonstrated a good correlation between biochemical and histochemical activities.