The role of cholecystectomy following endoscopic sphincterotomy and bile duct stone removal.

Introduction: Choledocholithiasis is common, with patients usually treated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and subsequent cholecystectomy to remove the presumed source of common bile duct (CBD) stones. However, previous investigations into the management of patients following ERCP have focused on recurrent CBD stones, negating the risks of cholecystectomy. This article appraises the role of cholecystectomy following successful endoscopic clearance of bile duct stones.

Evidence that trypsin digestion exposes a channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane.

We present evidence that proteolytic digestion of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes with trypsin exposes an ionophore that is capable of translocating calcium across the membrane of preloaded vesicles. Net transport of calcium appears to stop when the chemical potential of the ion on both sides of the membrane is equal. The temperature coefficient of steady-state leakage suggests that the ionophore is of the channel or pore type.

The phospholipid-dependence of uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase. Phospholipid depletion and re-activation of guinea-pig liver microsomal enzyme.

More than 80% of the phospholipid component of guinea-pig liver microsomal membranes (prepared with 154mM-KCl) was removed by treatment with phospholipase A followed by extraction of the lysophosphatides and fatty acids produced with albumin. Delipidation strongly inactivated the highly active UDP-glucuronyltransferase of these preparations and activity was restored by mixtures of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylchlone. However, small quantities of lysophosphatides were still associated with the delipidated fractions after extraction with albumin and might have influenced the inactivation and re-activation observed.