Role of Cholecystokinin in Gallbladder and Duodenal Motility in the Interdigestive State of Dogs

This study was designed to determine the role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in the motility patterns of duodenum and gallbladder in fasted conscious dogs. During the naturally occurring activity front in the duodenum a significant increase in the motility index, (MI) of the gallbladder was accompanied by a decrease in the gallbladder volume from about 28 ± 4 ml (control) to 21 ± 3 ml. Similar changes in the gallbladder were observed after intravenous bolus injections of motilin (20 to 40 ng/kg), which gave increments in plasma motilin comparable to those occurring spontaneously during the activity front but failed to affect plasma levels of CCK. Blocking of CCK receptors by L-364, 718 (0.5 to 1 mg/kg) delayed the occurrence of the spontaneous activity front in the duodenum and the accompanying alterations in the gallbladder motility. CCK receptor antagonism abolished the premature activity front induced by motilin in both the duodenum and the gallbladder, converted the fed-like pattern induced by exogenous CCK to a fasted motility pattern in the duodenum and prevented CCK-induced reduction in the gallbladder volume. Atropine (12.5 μg/kg) blocked the spontaneous activity front in the duodenum and accompanying alterations in the gallbladder motility and volume but failed to affect those induced by motilin. We conclude that the motility of the gallbladder in fasted dogs shows cyclic changes with typical reduction in the organ volume coinciding with the spontaneous or motilin-induced activity front in the duodenum, and that both CCK and muscarinic receptors are involved in the MMC-related alterations in the motor activity of the gallbladder.