Gall bladder: The metabolic orchestrator.

It is commonly held that the gall bladder (GB) is not indispensable for life. However, recent studies strongly suggest that GB removal can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). With the recent recognition of the role of bile acids (BAs) in systemic metabolic regulation, it is worthwhile to re-examine the function of the GB, which can be regarded as the physiological "pacemaker" of BA flow. Thus, in the present study, we review the role of the GB in BA flow regulation, describe the epidemiologic evidence that associates cholecystectomy with various components of MetS, and discuss the possible mechanism behind these connections in order to demonstrate the pivotal role that GB plays in metabolic regulation.