[Distribution and elimination of medium- and long-chain fatty acids of a fat emulsion in lipoproteins of severely injured patients following bolus injection]

Abstract

A fat emulsion containing 20% fat as medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and long chain triglycerides (LCT) (1:1) was injected as a bolus in an amount of 0.2g fat per kg body weight to six patients, three to five days after a serious injury. Triglyceride concentrations increased within two min in lipoprotein fractions d less than 0.95 g/ml (Chylomicrons), d less than 1.006 g/ml (VLDL), d less than 1.063 g/ml (LDL) and d less than 1.21 g/ml (HDL). Sixty minutes after injection triglyceride concentrations had again reached preexperimental values in all lipoprotein fractions. Cholesterol values did not change. According to the composition of the fat emulsion, linoleic acid content increased in triglycerides of all lipoprotein fractions, whereas octanoic and decanoic acid did so only in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (d less than 1.006). Half-life values of elimination of octanoic acid (3.3 min) and decanoic acid (3.9 min) in triglycerides of lipoprotein fraction d less than 1.006 were nearly half as short as that of long chain fatty acids (linoleic acid, 6.4 min; oleic acid, 6.5 min; palmitic acid, 7.5 min). Thus in contrast to LCT, MCT are only found in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (d less than 1.006) and are also eliminated more rapidly.