Relation of abnormal gallbladder arterioles to gallbladder emptying in patients with gallstone and diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is thought to be related to gallstone formation in emptying the gallbladder. Diabe- tes mellitus may lead to many changes in microarterioles and micronerves; the aim of this study was to investigate the abnormality of arterioles in the gallbladder and its rela- tion to gallbladder hypomotility in patients with gallstone and diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Thirty patients with simple gallstones and 30 patients with gallstones and diabetes mellitus were analy- zed , and their gallbladder emptying function was measured with B ultrasound before operation. After operation, the arterioles of the gallbladder rinsed with periodic acid-schiff (PAS) reagent in photos were used for analysis of the tu- blar area and stereo system with the Beihang CM-2000B biological and medical photo system. RESULTS: In patients with gallstones and diabetes mellitus, the gallbladder emptying function was significantly im- paired, the area ratio of the arteriole wall to whole arte- rioles in cross section was significantly higher than that in patients with simple gallstones (0.81 ±0.09 vs. 0.58±0.15, P < 0. 01), and the average sound density was also higher (0.41 ±0.07 vs. 0.30 ±0.12, P<0.01) in patients with gall- stones and diabetes mellitus than in those with simple gall- stones. The size of arterioles (diameter) was not signifi- cantly related to the area ratio (P >0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with diabetes mellitus, the se- dimentation of PAS positive material in the wall of arte- rioles leads to the stenosis of arterioles. It is probably con- tributive to hypomotility of the gallbladder.