Marks et al. (A-29) conducted a study to determine the effects of rapid weight loss on contraction of the gallbladder and to evaluate the effects of ursodiol and ibuprofen on saturation, nucleation and growth, and contraction. Subjects were obese patients randomly assigned to receive ursodiol, ibuprofen, or placebo. Among the data collected were the following cholesterol saturation index values (CSI) and nucleation times (NT) in days of 13 (six male, seven female) placebo-treated subjects at the end of 6 weeks:

CSI NT 1.20 4.00 1.42 6.00 1.18 14.00

.88 21.00 1.05 21.00 1.00 18.00 1.39 6.00 1.31 10.00 1.17 9.00 1.36 14.00 1.06 21.00 1.30 8.00 1.71 2.00 Source: Data provided courtesy of Dr. Jay W. Marks.