The nondigestible fat sucrose polyester does not stimulate gallbladder emptying in humans

Background: We determined the effect of oral ingestion of sucrose polyester , which was approved as a fat replacer in the United States, on gallbladder motility and on the release of cholecystokinin, the hormone that mediates gallbladder emptying, Objective: Our objective was to measure effects of sucrose polyester on gal lbladder emptying and cholecystokinin release. Design: Eight healthy volunteers (3 men and 5 women) drank 60 mt sucrose po lyester, digestible fat, or saline solution in a balanced crossover design on 3 separate days. Results: Mean (+/-SEM) gallbladder emptying, when integrated over time, was low in response to both sucrose polyester (-150 +/- 214 mL . 120 min) and saline solution (-89 +/- 123 mL . 120 min). In contrast, there was marked e mptying in response to digestible fat (1069 +/- 253 mL . 120 min). Sucrose polyester did not affect plasma cholecystokinin concentrations (-9.3 +/- 15 .0 pmol . 120 min/L), whereas digestible fat resulted in a significant incr ease (89.5 +/- 44.8 pmol . 120 min/L, P = 0.014) compared with saline solut ion (-3.0 +/- 13.8 pmol . 120 min/L). Conclusions: Ingestion of sucrose polyester, in contrast with digestible fa t, did not stimulate gallbladder emptying or release of cholecystokinin.