1.   Cholesterol nucleation time, biliary lipid concentration, vesicular cholesterol distribution, and biliary protein concentration were measured and compared.

2.   The isotropic bile samples were subsequently used to measure the nucleation time and the relative distribution of vesicular cholesterol.

3.   No correlation was found between the nucleation time and CSI, total protein concentration or the distribution of vesicular cholesterol in hepatic bile.

4.   The factors differentiating metastability of gall bladder bile in two populations might be ascribed to the CSI and the distribution of vesicular cholesterol.