Gastroenterology
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Coordination of gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi and effect of cholecystectomy on biliary pressure physiology were investigated in 7 patients using an indwelling microtransducer catheter placed in the bile duct by duodenoscopy. Intramuscular morphine (0.2 mg/kg) to induce a sphincter of Oddi spasm produced no change before cholecystectomy but intravenous caerulein (0.1 microgram/kg) induced pressure elevation coincident with gallbladder contraction on echogram. ⋯ These results show (a) the sphincter of Oddi relaxes when the gallbladder contracts in response to caerulein and (b) the gallbladder acts as a pressure reservoir against the sphincter of Oddi spasm caused by morphine. The latter implies that the spasm of the sphincter of Oddi readily leads to a pressure rise if the gallbladder is absent, which may partly explain a development of postcholecystectomy syndrome.