Diurnal rhythm of bile lipid composition after cholecystectomy and papillotomy. Postpapillotomy biliary lithogenicity.

The influence of the gallbladder and the sphincter of Oddi on the diurnal rhythm of bile lipid composition was assessed by determining the lithogenic index at 4-h intervals over a period of 24 h in 29 cholecystectomized and papillotomized patients with a nasobiliary tube receiving a normal hospital diet and in 9 during 1-day fast. With a normal diet, biliary cholesterol concentrations dropped during the daytime (p less than 0.05), and total biliary lipid, bile acid, phospholipid, and cholesterol concentrations rose at night (p less than 0.05). During fasting, total biliary lipid, phospholipid, and cholesterol concentrations rose continuously (p less than 0.01). Even with loss of function of the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi, a diurnal rhythm of biliary lithogenicity persisted, caused mainly by cholesterol increases during fasting. Concomitant increases in phospholipids and, to a lesser extent, bile acids modulated these changes.