Informatics Publishing Limited

K. N. Jalan ¹, M. L. Chakraborty ¹, S. K. Agarwal ¹, D. Mahalanabis ¹, D. K. Chattoraj ², S. P. Moulik ², B. S. Ahuja ³

Affiliations
1 Kothari Centre of Gastroenterology, The Calcutta Medical Research Institute, 712 Diamond Harbour Road, Calcutta-700 027, IN
2 Department of Food Technology and Bio-Engineering and Department of Chemistry Jadavpur University, Calcutta- 700 032, IN
3 Department of Chemistry, Punjab University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

Gallbladder bile from 27 control and 34 patients with cholesterol gallstone belonging to the Indian Ganges Delta have been analysed with respect to its three major components i.e. cholesterol, bile salt and phospholipid. The results when plotted on triangular co-ordinate failed to demonstrate any differences between lithogenic and non-lithogenic bile. The micellar and non-micellar boundary lines in accordance with the phase rule invoked by Admirand and Small1 and Holzbach et a1 have thus been considered ineffective as markers for patient and non-patient classification. The lithogenic index has been observed to be proportionately dependent on D/T ratio but not so on the G/T ratio. The maximum cholesterol solubility of the bile has been observed to be independent of all these parameters. The occurence of significant amounts of bile salts and phospholipids as well as calcium and iron salts alongwith cholesterol in stones suggests the inapplicability of phase rule to the stability of human bile system. The role of microcomponents of bile (ions, glycoproteins, etc.) appears to be significant for cholesterol stone formation.

Keywords

Stability of Bile, Gallstone, Phase Diagram.

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