Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2000. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 15, 2000; 6(2): 248-251
Published online Apr 15, 2000. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v6.i2.248
Optic properties of bile liquid crystals in human body
Hai Ming Yang, Jie Wu, Jin Yi Li, Jian Li Zhou, Li Jun He, Xian Fang Xu
Hai Ming Yang, Jie Wu, Jian Li Zhou, Li Jun He, Xian Fang Xu Department of Physics and Mathematics, Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650031, Yunnan Province, China;
Jin Yi Li, Department of Physics, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650092, Yunnan Province, China;
Hai Ming Yang, graduated from Physics Department of Kunming Teachers College (Yunnan Normal University) in 1964, now professor of physics, Director of Physics and Mathematics Department of Kunming Medical College, Councillor of Medicine and Physics Branch of Chinese Biomedical Engineering Association, Deputy Director of Medical Biology and Physics Council, Councillor of Chinese Biophysics Research Institute, specialized in medical physics teaching and researches in biology of liquid crystals, having 16 papers published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.39560026, and Applied Basic Research Fund of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Committee, No.92C059
Correspondence to: Dr. Hai Ming Yang, Physics and Mathematics Department of Kunming Medical College, 191 West Renming Road, Kunming 650031, Yunnan Province, China
Telephone: 0086-871-5338812
Received: May 26, 1999
Revised: June 26, 1999
Accepted: July 1, 1999
Published online: April 15, 2000
Abstract

AIM: To further study the properties of bile liquid crystals, and probe into the relationship between bile liquid crystals and gallbladder stone formation, and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of cholecystolithiasis.

METHODS: The optic properties of bile liquid crystals in human body were determined by the method of crystal optics under polarizing microscope with plane polarized light and perpendicular polarized light.

RESULTS: Under a polarizing microscope with plane polarized light, bile liquid crystals scattered in bile appeared round, oval or irregularly round. The color of bile liquid crystals was a little lighter than that of the bile around. When the stage was turned round, the color of bile liquid crystals or the darkness and lightness of the color did not change obviously. On the border between bile liquid crystals and the bile around, brighter Becke-Line could be observed. When the microscope tube is lifted, Becke-Line moved inward, and when lowered, Becke-Line moved outward. Under a perpendicular polarized light, bile liquid crystals showd some special interference patterns, called Malta cross. When the stage was turning round at an angle of 360°, the Malta cross showed four times of extinction. In the vibrating direction of 45° angle of relative to upper and lower polarizing plate, gypsum test-board with optical path difference of 530 nm was inserted, the first and the third quadrants of Malt a cross appeared to be blue, and the second and the fourth quadrants appeared orange. When mica test-board with optical path difference of 147 nm was inserted, the first and the third quadrants of Malta cross appeared yellow, and the second and the fourth quadrants appeared dark grey.

CONCLUSION: The bile liquid crystals were distributed in bile in the form of global grains. Their polychroism and absorption were slight, but the edge and Becke*Line were very clear. Its refractive index was larger than that of the bile. These liquid crystals were uniaxial positive crystals. The interference colors were the first order grey-white. The double refractive index of the liquid crystals was Δn = 0.011-0.015.

Keywords: cholecystolithiasis; liquid crystals; optic properties