Gallbladder and duodenal bacterial flora after papillotomy in rabbits.

Gallbladder and duodenal bacteria were studied in New Zealand white rabbits 1 and 4 weeks after papillotomy. The gallbladder bile was sterile in all animals before papillotomy. One and 4 weeks after papillotomy growth of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was found in the gallbladder bile in five of eight test animals and in none of the control rabbits. The number of bacteria in the duodenum increased in rabbits that developed growth of bacteria in the gallbladder bile after papillotomy. In the test rabbits that did not develop bacteria in the gallbladder bile and in the control group no changes in duodenal bacteria were observed.