Human cholecystitis is associated with increased gallbladder prostaglandin I 2 and prostaglandin E 2 synthesis

Microsomal prostanoid synthesis was compared in normal gallbladders removed during organ donation and inflamed gallbladders removed at cholecystectomy. Normal human gallbladder microsomes demonstrated low rates of conversion of [ 14 C]arachidonic acid to total labeled prostanoids, which increased during 1 to 30 min of incubation. Normal human gallbladder microsomes converted labeled substrate to all primary prostaglandins without demonstration of a major product. Inflamed human gallbladder microsomes increased the rate of conversion of [ 14 C]arachidonic acid to total labeled prostanoids two or three times over the levels demonstrated by normal gallbladder microsomes at all times of incubation (p < 0.01). The main prostanoids synthesized by the inflamed human gallbladder microsomes were prostaglandin E 2 and 6‐keto‐prostaglandin F 1α , which were increased four times over the levels demonstrated by normal gallbladder microsomes (p < 0.01). These data showed that inflammation of the human gallbladder was associated with increased synthesis of gallbladder 6‐keto‐prostaglandin F 1α , and prostaglandin E 2 . (H EPATOLOGY 1992;16:1176–1179.)