Gallbladder Fibroblasts (GBF)

The gallbladder is a hollow organ that sits just beneath the right lobe of the liver.The main purpose of the gallbladder is to store bile, also called gall, needed for the digestion of food. Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm. They have been extensively used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies as they are one of the easiest types of cells to grow in culture. Their durability also makes them amenable to a wide variety of manipulations ranging from studies employing gene transfection to microinjection. Gallbladder fibroblasts (GBF) are responsible for eicosanoid synthesis, specifically PGI2. Chronic stimulation of GBF results in up-regulated synthesis and release of PGI2, which aids in formation of early acute cholecystitis.