ABSTRACT
The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of bilateral truncal vagotomy on gallbladder smooth muscle response to cholecystokinin [CKK] and to compare it with the effect of combined vagotomy and atropine or hexamethonium pretreatment. According to previous studies CKK doses of 3 and 6 ng/kg/min. were considered physiological and doses between 12-36 ng/kg/min. were considered supraphysiological. Bilateral truncal vagotomy led to significant reductions in the increase in gallbladder pressure above its basal level, due to CCK doses of 3 and 6 ng/kg/min. The percentages of these reductions were 88% and 61%, respectively. Bilateral trumcal vagotomy,,however, did not cause any such reduction in gallbladder smooth muscle response to CCK doses between 12-36 ng/kg/min. combined atropine on hexamethonium pretreatment and bilateral vagotomy did not change the pattern or add to the degree of reducation in the increase in gallbladder pressure above its basal level in response to CCK physiological or supraphysiological doses. These results may show that surgical interference and pharmacological pre or postganglionic blockade of cholinergic innervation to the gallbladder have similar quantitative and qualitative inhibitory influence on gallbladder response to CCK physiological or supraphysiological doses