Dissolution of calcium bilirubinate disk as a model of a gallstone by mixed solutions of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

Direct dissolution agents of calcium bilirubinate gallstones were prepared by dissolving chelating agents in aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate containing polar solvent. Dissolution experiments on a calcium bilirubinate disk as a model of a gallstone were performed using a static disk method.

From the amounts dissolved in an hour using dissolution agents with various composition, the most effective conditions for dissolving calcium bilirubinate were determined as follows: (1) the higher the pH of the dissolution agent, the more calcium bilirubinate was dissolved. Thus, pH 8.4 was chosen as the best pH condition within the range of harmless usage to the human body in vivo in limited amount; (2) a combination of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as chelating agent for calcium and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI) as polar solvent; (3) in the mixed system of EDTA and DMI, the most effective concentrations were about 4 wt.% EDTA and about 30 wt.% DMI.

The dissolution agent satisfying the above conditions gave a dissolved amount of about 70 mg dl^?1 in 1 h. This amount was considerably higher than those using DMI and EDTA independently. This suggests that dissolution is due to cooperation between EDTA and DMI.