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Gallstone disease is one of the most prevalent digestive diseases. The frequency of gallstone disease is about 10% in middle-age persons and 20% in aged persons. Gallbladder dysmotility and stasis of bile flow promote sludge and/or gallstone formation. Gallbladder contraction depends on cholecystokinin (CCK) via CCK-1 receptors (R)s. Previously, we raised CCK-1R deficient (-/-) mice and observed sludge and/or gallstone formation in more than 30% at 12-24 months of age. As ursodeoxycholate (UDCA) is commonly used for patients with gallstone disease, we expected that continuous administration of UDCA could prevent sludge and/or gallstone formation in CCK- 1R(-/-) mice. A diet containing 0.1% UDCA was administered in age-matched CCK-1R(-/-) and wild-type male and female mice for 8 months. Administration of UDCA decreased the frequency of sludge and/or gallstone formation compared with the control (CRF-1) diet (39%→26% in male, 35%→25% in female mice); however, these effects did not attain a level of statistical significance. Although the body weight was significantly higher in UDCA-fed than CRF-1-fed male mice regardless of genotypes, the plasma lipid concentrations did not differ between the two diets. In conclusion, administration of UDCA was less effective than expected at preventing sludge and/or gallstone formation in CCK-1R(-/-) mice.

Background: Gallbladder dysmotility accelerates cholelithiasis. In turn, gallbladder dysmotility can occur secondary to inflammation and excess cholesterol accumulation in gallbladder smooth muscle., Methods: The present study was designed to determine how much gallbladder dysmotility contributes to gallstone formation as a primary cause and whether a sex difference exists in gallstone formation by comparing cholecystokinin-1 receptor gene-deficient [CCK-1R(-/-)] male and female mice., Results: No sludge or gallstone formation was observed in mice at 6 months of age. The frequency of sludge and gallstone formation in mice at 12 and 24 months of age was slightly higher in female CCK-1R(-/-) mice than in males, but the difference was not significant., Conclusions: Gallbladder dysmotility may have accelerated sludge and gallstone formation, but its contribution was limited. A 12-month period was required to produce gallstones, and after the mice reached 12 months of age, further ageing did not increase the frequency of gallstones. The effect of sex did not reach a significant level.

The etiology of gallstones is multifactorial, with interactions between genes and the environment. We generated cholecystokinin (CCK) -A receptor (R)-deficient (-/-) mice and found that CCK did not produce gallbladder contraction in CCK-AR(-/-) mice. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of CCK-AR on gallstone formation. Age-matched CCK-AR gene (+/+) and (-/-) progenies were used. Sludge and gallstone formation, as well as plasma cholesterol levels, were measured at 12 and 24 months of age. Sludge and gallstone formation were significantly higher in CCK-AR(-/-) mice than in CCK-AR(+/+) mice at 12 and 24 months of age, although these were not different between 12 and 24 months of age. The plasma cholesterol levels, daily food intake, and body weight were not significantly different between CCK-AR(+/+) and (-/-) mice. Sludge and gallstone formation were not observed at 6 months of age. In conclusion, deteriorated gallbladder contraction due to a lack of CCK-AR favored gallstone formation after the middle age of life.