Effects of ceftriaxone sodium on in vitro gallbladder contractility in guinea pigs1

Abstract

Background/Purpose. It has been reported that ceftriaxone may induce the formation of gallstones. Changes of gallbladder motility may play a role in this phenomenon. The present study was designed to analyze the gallbladder contractility of ceftriaxone sodium-treated guinea pigs in response to different agonists. Materials and methods. Twenty adult guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups. Ten guinea pigs were treated with ceftriaxone sodium (100 mg/kg/ day) for 10 days, whereas the remaining 10 served as the control group, receiving 1 ml of distilled water during 10 days as placebo. By the end of the experimental period the animals were sacrificed and the gallbladders were removed. The responses to KCl, papaverine, sodium nitroprusside, carbachol, and histamine on gallbladder strips from control and experimental groups were recorded and analyzed. Results. There was no significant difference between the responsiveness to KCl, papaverine, and sodium nitroprusside on tissues isolated from experimental and control groups. Comparison of the two groups revealed that the maximum responses (Emax) to carbachol and histamine were significantly reduced in the experimental group, without any change in the pD2 values. Conclusion. These data indicate that, after ceftriaxone sodium therapy, the decreased maximum contractile response to carbachol and histamine may contribute to the formation of gallstones.