Lm.v-duse ursodeoxychoiic acid pr:.1;ongs r.:holesterol nucleation time in gallbladdei bile of patients with cholesteroJ gallstones

Tbc high rate of stone rccurrenCt' reprcselit!'o \ drawback of non-o,;~'rt~.kal the-rap~' of cholt::r.~crol ~ütl:;tGnc di~­ east:. Although lllosi sludics r~port i:lat long':'_Tm bile acid treatment dl;~S not hav(;! pTOte.:tive effe.::ts. preiiminilry results suggesl that low-dosL ursodeoxycholic ent in the gallbludder hilI': of 7 Out (lf the 10 patients rCl:dving ursodeoxycholic iu.:id und in a1l con!fui biles. ür.~tldcoxy~hclic acid lrcatmo;:;ot significar..!y (P < 0.02) uecreased the cholcst-!ml saturaf_oll index (mean ± S.F. : n.44 "t o.!:S V~. 1.0,_1 :t 11. iH) ,md ted ro an approximately 5-fold prolonga!ion (P < 0.0(5) ur in!:! cholestcrol nudcation time (mean ± S.E.: 12.0 ± 2.4 vs. 2.3 ± 0.7 days). We coocJude that iowdose ursvrll:l)xycholic acid might he effecti\'e in the pre\'cntion of po!.t-dissolution gallstone rCLUrrencc by botl1 :Ie·creasing dHllcst~iOl saturatiun anu prclongmg cholestuul nuclc;.ltiun time.