THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON ACID-SECRETION BY THE BOVINE GALL-BLADDER IN-VITRO

Objectives: To determine whether acid secretion by gall bladder mucosa is influenced by alcohol and whether hydrogen ion output is increased when the gall bladder is perfused with moderate concentrations of alc ohol. Methods: Fifty bovine gall bladders were studied. Twenty-five se rved as controls and 25 were perfused (in groups of five) with varying concentrations of alcohol (w/v): 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0%. Acid o utput was measured over 1 h and the results expressed as the mean. Res ults: There was no significant difference between acid production by c ontrol gall bladders and those perfused with 0.05% alcohol (24.30+/-8. 7 versus 18.95x8.41 nmol/h), but the acid output was significantly inc reased when the mucosa was exposed to 0.1 and 0.2% alcohol concentrati ons (50.28+/-10.2 and 29.34+/-9.1 nmol/h; P<0.001 and P<0.0004, respec tively). Perfusion with alcohol concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0%, signif icantly inhibited mucosal acid output (2.60+/-2.0 and -1.70+/-1.2 nmol /h; P<0.0001 and P<0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: This study shows that perfusion of bovine gall bladder mucosa in vitro with moderate c oncentrations of alcohol stimulates acid output. This observation is i mportant for assessing the link between alcohol and the risk of gallst one formation.