Superior gallstone dissolubility and safety of tert-amyl ethyl ether over methyl-tertiary butyl ether

Figure 3 In vitro validation of gallstone dissolubility of each solvent. A: Dissolubility exerted by each solvent for the cholesterol gallstones. Representative pictures of the residual cholesterol gallstones at 0 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h after treatment (Left). Time-response graph demonstrating the dissolution of cholesterol gallstones. Tert-amyl ethyl ether (TAEE) dissolved the cholesterol gallstones significantly better than methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) after 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h (P < 0.05) (Right); B: Dissolubility exerted by each solvent for the mixed gallstones. Representative pictures of the residual mixed gallstones at 0 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h after treatment (Left). Time-response graph demonstrating the dissolution of mixed gallstones. TAEE dissolved the mixed gallstones significantly better than MTBE after 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h (P < 0.05) (Right); C: Dissolubility exerted by each solvent for the pigmented gallstones. Representative pictures of the residual pigmented gallstones at 0 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h after treatment (Left). Time-response graph demonstrating the dissolution of pigmented gallstones. TAEE dissolved the pigmented gallstones significantly better than MTBE after 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h (P < 0.05) (Right). Values are presented as mean ± standard deviation of three independent experiments. ^aP < 0.05 between MTBE and TAEE. MTBE: Methyl tert-butyl ether; TAEE: Tert-amyl ethyl ether.