BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is thought to be related to gallstone formation in emptying the gallbladder. Diabetes 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 relation 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 analyzed, 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 tublar 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 impaired, the area ratio of the arteriole wall to whole arterioles 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 gallstones and diabetes mellitus than in those with simple gallstones. The size of arterioles (diameter) was not significantly related to the area ratio (P>0.05).
 CONCLUSION:  In patients with diabetes mellitus, the sedimentation of PAS positive material in the wall of arterioles leads to the stenosis of arterioles. It is probably contributive to hypomotility of the gallbladder.