ABSTRACT
Normal feed and stone-leading feed were used respectively to raise guinea pigs in the control group and stone-causing group. The dynamic changes of total cholesterol, mucoprotein, total phospholipid and total cholic acid were measured during various raising periods. The formation of crystal nucleus and the growth of gallstone were studied under polarzing microscope. It was found that the contents of total cholesterol, mucoprotein, total phospholipid and total cholic acid in the gallbladder bile of control group were nearly the same during the whole feeding process, and no shaped stone crystal was formed. In the stone-causing group, however, the contents of total cholesterol and mucoprotein gradually went up and the contents of total phospholipid and total cholic acid gradually went down. After 10 days' feeding, significant difference was seen,and after 25 days' feeding, highly significant difference was noted. With the increase of feeding days, the liquid crystal vesicles in the bile increased, became bigger, gathered in strings, and then formed liquid crystal cells. The stone crystal growth along these nuclei of bile liquid crystal cells spread out rapidly, and the micro-crystal grains formed further in number. It was shown that, during the process of gallbladder stone formation, bile liquid crystal cells form a basic kind of nucleus, and the gathering and merging of bile liquid crystal vesicles be the key to crystal growth. So cholesterol and mucoprotein play the role of nucleation-leading factors in enhancing the gathering and merging of liquid crystal vesicles, and phospholipid and cholate play the role of anti-nucleation during the formation of gallbladder stone.