Human plasma fatty acid variations and how they are related to dietary intake.

A study was conducted in 12 free-living subjects to determine quantitative and qualitative plasma phospholipid (PL), free fatty acid (FFA), triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol ester (CE) fatty acid (FA) variations over time (0.8, and 22 mo) and to correlate these FAs with dietary intake. Diet, reported by use of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), did not change over time. Most FA variations were quantitative, occurring in FFA and CE fractions. Correlations between diet and FAs occurred mostly in men for whom dietary percent fat energy was positively correlated with percent monounsaturated plasma TG FAs, and ethanol (g/d) was positively correlated with plasma CE 16:1 omega 7 (mumol/L). These findings indicate that quantitative variations exist in plasma FAs of a normal population, with no detectable alteration in diet; the FFQ may be used to reflect the qualitative status of plasma FA. Factors such as ethanol consumption and sex differences may influence FA metabolism.

Endotoxin challenge after menhaden oil diet: effects on survival of guinea pigs.

Improvement in survival to endotoxin has been seen after pretreatment with cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Because eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found in menhaden oil, competitively inhibits cyclooxygenase, we fed two groups of guinea pigs diets, in which the fat source was either menhaden or safflower oil, for 6 wk. A third group was allowed the safflower oil diet ad libitum. Menhaden oil-fed animals showed enhanced survival compared with safflower oil control animals 20 h after endotoxin (87 vs 63%, p less than 0.05). Ad libitum-fed safflower oil animals survived least well, with 47% alive at 20 h (p less than 0.005 vs menhaden oil group). We conclude that feeding animals a diet whose predominant lipid source is fish oil significantly improves survival after endotoxin. Dietary fat should be viewed not only as a caloric source but as a pharmacologically active substance that can have profound effects on the host's response to toxic insults.

Lipid emulsions and reticuloendothelial system function in healthy and burned guinea pigs.

The effect of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) regimens containing various quantities of long-chain triglyceride (LCT) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) emulsions on bacterial clearance and organ sequestration was evaluated in healthy and burned guinea pigs. In healthy guinea pigs, increasing the LCT component of TPN to 75% or greater of the nonprotein calories resulted in hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, a significant reduction in the sequestration of intravenously administered Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the liver and spleen, and a markedly increased clearance of bacteria into the lung. In burned guinea pigs, replacement of LCT with MCT emulsions at 75% of the nonprotein caloric intake reduced the sequestration of bacteria in the lung and restored to normal hepatic and splenic uptake. These results suggest that LCT emulsions at 75% of nonprotein calories result in reticuloendothelial system overload and increased bacterial sequestration in the lungs in normal and burned animals. In contrast, administration of MCT emulsions to the burned animal is less likely to result in increased pulmonary sequestration and decreased hepatic or splenic reticuloendothelial system function.

Left ventricular filling abnormalities in asymptomatic morbid obesity.

Indexes of left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling were measured by pulse Doppler echocardiography in 16 asymptomatic morbidity obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery and were compared with an age- and sex-matched lean control population. No patient had concomitant disorders known to affect diastolic function. All patients had normal systolic function. LV wall thickness and internal dimension were measured in order to calculate LV mass. Fifty percent of morbidly obese patients had LV diastolic filling abnormalities as assessed by the presence of greater than or equal to 2 abnormal variables of mitral inflow velocity. The ratio of peak early to peak late (atrial) filling velocity was significantly decreased in obese compared with control patients (1.16 +/- 0.26 vs 1.66 +/- 0.30, p less than 0.001). The peak velocity of early LV diastolic filling was significantly reduced in obese patients (75 +/- 15 vs 98 +/- 19 cm/s, p less than 0.001). The atrial contribution to stroke velocity as assessed by the time-velocity integral of late compared with total LV diastolic filling was significantly increased in obese patients (36 +/- 7 vs 27 +/- 4%, p less than 0.001). Obese patients had significantly increased LV mass (214 +/- 45 vs 138 +/- 37 g, p less than 0.001), even when corrected for body surface area (95 +/- 16 vs 76 +/- 16 g/m2, p less than 0.002). However, increased LV mass did not correlate with indexes of abnormal diastolic filling in obese patients. These data suggest that abnormalities of diastolic function occur frequently in asymptomatic morbidly obese patients and may represent a subclinical form of cardiomyopathy in the obese patient.

Gastric restrictive operations for morbid obesity.

Gastric restrictive surgery has evolved over the past decade as the treatment of choice for morbid obesity. We reviewed our experience with 289 patients who underwent gastric surgery for morbid obesity. Comorbid diseases included respiratory insufficiency in 19 percent of the patients, hypertension in 36 percent, diabetes in 15 percent, arthritis in 30 percent, and heart disease in 6 percent. Operative mortality was 0. The follow-up rate was 93 percent. Overall mortality was 1 percent, with no death directly attributed to the operative procedure. Weight loss was studied over the 6-year study period. Four to 6 years postoperatively, overall weight loss was 50 to 64 percent of excess weight. The treatment failure rate 12 to 18 months postoperatively was 5 percent. The experience with gastric restrictive surgery in 12 centers involving 5,178 patients was reviewed and compared with our results. Overall operative and late mortality rates were quite similar to observed death rates for nonobese men and women between 25 and 64 years of age. These data suggest that gastric surgery for morbid obesity results in a significant reduction in health risk.

Alternative lipid sources for enteral and parenteral nutrition: long- and medium-chain triglycerides, structured triglycerides, and fish oils.

This article reviews current investigations of the use of alternative lipid sources to enhance the metabolic and immune functions of hospitalized patients. Conventional lipids have been implicated as the cause of a variety of iatrogenic side effects in critically ill hospitalized patients, and long-chain triglycerides of the omega-6 family have been shown to be potentially detrimental to immune function. Alternative lipids (fish oils, medium-chain triglycerides, and structured triglycerides) have been proposed as substitutes for conventional long-chain, polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids. Unlike long-chain triglycerides, medium-chain triglycerides are more rapidly cleared from the blood and are completely oxidized for energy. However, medium-chain triglycerides contain no essential fatty acids. On the other hand, structured triglycerides offer the advantages of long-chain triglycerides (essential fatty acids) and of medium-chain triglycerides (rapid clearance and oxidation). Fish oils, which contain long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, appear to be anti-inflammatory and to affect immune function differently from the omega-6 long-chain triglycerides.

Parenteral iron dextran therapy: a review.

Iron dextran was introduced more than 30 yr ago for the parenteral treatment of iron deficiency anemia that is refractory to oral therapy. Iron dextran is a preparation of ferric hydroxide complexed with a low molecular weight fraction of dextran. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiency diseases and occurs worldwide secondary to inadequate dietary iron, usually with excessive gastrointestinal blood losses. Repletion of iron stores is often complicated by intolerance to oral iron supplementation and may require parenteral iron. Parenteral iron can be administered via the intramuscular or intravenous route either directly or as an additive to total parenteral nutrition. Both routes of administration can cause various side effects and a test dose is recommended before therapeutic administration to assess the risk for anaphylaxis. Although the efficacy and safety of parenteral iron dextran have been convincingly demonstrated, supplementation may be contraindicated in the setting of infection.

Effect of iron-supplemented total parenteral nutrition in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia is common among hospitalized patients, and blood losses from diagnostic phlebotomy increase the likelihood of a negative iron balance. The role for iron supplementation of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in these patients is unclear. Twenty-three patients with iron deficiency anemia were identified. Twelve patients were randomized to receive TPN without iron (group 1) and 11 received TPN supplemented with 10 mg of iron as iron dextran daily (group 2). Both groups were matched for age, serum iron studies, red cell indices, and hemogram. After a 7-d period, the mean serum iron in group 2 increased from 10 to 26 micrograms/dL, with an increased transferrin saturation from 7.3 to 15.3% (each, p < 0.05). No changes in total iron binding capacity, ferritin, reticulocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, or mean corpuscular volume were observed in the two groups. The incidence of infectious complications was not different between both groups. We conclude that iron supplementation of TPN appears safe and is effective in increasing serum iron levels. The use of iron-supplemented short-term TPN needs to be further studied given no change in red cell indices, hemoglobin, hematocrit, or transfusion requirement.

Essential fatty acid deficiency and home total parenteral nutrition patients.

The requirements for essential fatty acids in patients on home parenteral nutrition are not well described. We therefore studied the needs of 12 patients receiving parenteral nutrition for at least 4 mo (range: 4 mo-17.3 yr; mean 7.0 +/- 5.2 yr). Prior to the study, each patient had been receiving intravenous lipids either weekly or biweekly and had a triene to tetraene ratio (TTR) on plasma phospholipids performed at least annually. A TTR > or = 0.2 was considered diagnostic for essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD). The purpose of this study was to determine the required intravenous lipid supplementation in patients on home total parenteral nutrition (HTPN). Patients with an initial TTR of < 0.2 had their intravenous lipid stopped and changes in their serum phospholipid fatty acids were followed every 3-4 wk. Nine of 12 patients had TTRs > 0.2 at some point in the study. Phase I consisted of patients who at initiation of the study had normal TTRs and were taken off lipid supplementation until their TTR became abnormal. Phases II, III, IV, and V consisted of lipid delivered in total nutrient admixtures in biweekly doses of 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, and 2.4 g of fat/kg bodyweight, respectively. Eight patients normalized their TTRs on the biweekly lipid regimens; one patient expired before his ratio normalized; and three patients could not be made deficient in essential fatty acids after 26 or more wk of fat-free parenteral nutrition. Most patients required 1.2 to 2.4 g of lipid/kg bodyweight/biweekly to correct serologic EFAD. The clinical background, as well as the length of small bowel remaining, did not seem to identify those patients who required lipid supplementation nor the final dose of lipid needed to normalize their TTRs.

Warfarin and reduced central venous thrombosis in home total parenteral nutrition patients.

Central venous thrombosis is a potentially life-threatening complication in patients on long-term home total parenteral nutrition (HTPN). Lack of venous access due to recurrent thromboses can prevent delivery of life-saving nutritional support. The long-term anticoagulation management to prevent thromboses in patients with central venous catheters for HTPN has not been well established. We have reviewed the role of warfarin in reducing the incidence of thromboses and its safety in our HTPN patients. Ninety consecutive HTPN patients were studied retrospectively. Twenty-two thromboses occurred during 1312 patient-mo in 53 HTPN patients on minidose warfarin. A minidose of warfarin is defined as 1-2 mg and does not prolong the prothrombin time. Seven thromboses occurred over 619 mo in 18 patients on a therapeutic dose of warfarin (minidose compared to therapeutic dose, p > 0.05). A therapeutic dose of warfarin is a dose that increases the prothrombin time to 1.2-1.5 times that of control. Twelve patients who had 18 thromboses in 323 patient-mo while on minidose warfarin were subsequently converted to therapeutic warfarin. The incidence of thromboses decreased to 2 in 369 patient-mo (p < 0.005). There were no hemorrhagic complications in the minidose warfarin group and four nonfatal hemorrhagic complications in the therapeutic dose warfarin group (p > 0.05). A therapeutic dose of warfarin is effective in reducing the incidence of thromboses in patients who experience central venous thrombosis despite minidose warfarin with a minimal increase in hemorrhagic complications.

Dietary fat level as determinant of protein-sparing actions of structured triglycerides.

This study assessed the effects of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) containing long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), an equimolar physical mixture of LCT and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and a structured triglyceride synthesized from equimolar amounts of MCT and LCT on energy and protein metabolism after thermal injury (25% body surface area full-thickness scald burn). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (245-271 g) received isovolemic diets intravenously that supplied 250 kcal.kg-1.day-1, 2 g amino acid nitrogen.kg-1.day-1, and 50% of nonprotein calories as lipid and 50% as dextrose for 3 days. Whole-body and tissue leucine kinetics were estimated by a 4-h continuous infusion of L-[1-14C]leucine on day 3. Nitrogen balance, plasma albumin, plasma glucose, energy expenditure, and whole-body and liver and rectus muscle protein kinetic parameters were determined. No significant differences were noted in any of the parameters measured. This study suggests that the unique protein-sparing actions usually associated with structured triglyceride administration are not seen when they are provided as 50% of nonprotein calories. In addition, the ratio of MCT to LCT in the starting mixture from which the structured triglycerides are synthesized may be an important determinant of the protein-sparing actions attributed to these lipids.

Novel triglycerides for special medical purposes.

The clinical use of intravenous lipid emulsions have been routine for over 25 years. For most of that time period the use of the vegetable oils, soybean and safflower, were the exclusive lipid source for these emulsions. Recently intravenous medium-chain triglycerides have been commercially available. This review will discuss several important new research developments coming from the laboratory which should prove to enhance the nutritional effectiveness as well as minimize the adverse effects of lipid emulsions. The use of medium-chain triglycerides either enterally or parenterally has shown them to be superior energy sources when compared to long-chain triglycerides. Under experimental conditions of burn injury, their support of certain aspects of protein metabolism is superior to that of the current emulsions. This may be due to their rapid and preferential oxidation and poor storage into adipose tissue, and increased thermogenesis which has been observed from either enteral or parenteral administration in humans. This increased metabolic rate is not accompanied by an increase in temperature. Lipid emulsions have been described as having many different effects on variable aspects of the immunologic system. Some of these could be considered to be beneficial or without harm, and others are considered potentially deleterious. We have focused on the effects of parenteral lipid emulsions, in animals as well as in humans, on the function of the reticuloendothelial system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Gallstone disease in patients with severe short bowel syndrome dependent on parenteral nutrition.

An increased incidence of gallbladder disease is seen in patients receiving long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). Stasis is thought to play a key role in the development of gallbladder sludge and gallstone formation. The highest incidence of gallbladder disease, by previous reports, is seen in patients with terminal ileal disease or resection. Since PN-dependent patients with severe short bowel syndrome secondary to mesenteric vascular accident have both gallbladder stasis and massive small bowel resection, a retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence of symptomatic gallbladder disease in this group. Of 11 patients followed over 9 years, five met the inclusion criteria of less than 60 cm of bowel remaining, receiving PN for longer than 6 months and the initial presence of a gallbladder. All five patients developed symptomatic gallbladder disease manifested by cholecystitis or pancreatitis. Factors contributing to gallbladder stasis included poor oral intake and use of anticholinergic and analgesic drugs. Gastric hypersecretion indirectly contributed to decreased oral intake as a means to minimize stool output. As these patients often require several laparotomies during the initial hospitalization, consideration should be given to performing prophylactic cholecystectomy, especially when the potential mortality and morbidity of emergent cholecystectomy done for symptomatic gallbladder disease is taken into account.

Risk of symptomatic central venous thrombotic complications in AIDS patients receiving home parenteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is frequently complicated by malnutrition that may require parenteral nutritional support. In a non-AIDS population with long-term indwelling central venous catheters, low-dose warfarin therapy has been shown to prevent venous thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of symptomatic central venous thrombosis in AIDS patients receiving home parenteral nutrition. The incidence of thrombosis on low-dose warfarin was compared with no prophylactic therapy. METHODS: A retrospective review of 47 malnourished AIDS patients started on home parental nutrition was performed. None of the patients had a prior history of venous thrombosis. During this period, 9 of 47 patients were treated with low-dose warfarin therapy. The incidence of clinical and radiologic venous thrombosis was compared in these two groups. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were treated with parenteral nutrition for 296 patients-months. The rate of central venous thrombosis in patients receiving warfarin (0.016 thromboses per patient-month) was no different from those patients on no prophylactic therapy (0.009 thromboses per patient-month). The most common abnormality in coagulation observed in the entire group during follow-up was thrombocytopenia occurring in 66% of patients. Sixty percent of patients received medications that could interfere with platelet function. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that routine thrombosis prophylaxis with low-dose warfarin may not be justified in malnourished AIDS patients receiving home parenteral nutrition. Prospective clinical trials are needed to determine the risks and benefits of prophylactic warfarin therapy in this group of patients.

Effect of tracer and intravenous fat emulsion on the measurement of reticuloendothelial system function.

Since the addition of lipid to intravenous feeding formulas, animal and human studies have shown impairment of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) due to slow rates of clearance and gradual accumulation of long chain triglycerides (LCT) in the liver. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) accumulate only minimally in the liver and do not impair the RES. However, results from animal studies using technetium sulfur colloid (TSC) to assess RES function have been inconclusive. The present study reevaluates RES function after lipid infusion in guinea pigs as measured by organ distribution of TSC. Guinea pigs were fed 300 kcal/kg/day of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for 2.5 days, with 50% of nonprotein calories as fat in the form of LCT or MCT, then injected intravenously with 2.5 or 25 microCi of TSC, and uptake by liver, spleen, and lungs was determined. Liver, lungs, and spleen all increased in size after TPN with LCT or MCT. Liver TSC uptake was significantly affected by the dose of TSC (p less than 0.05), with the high dose probably inducing an increased capacity of the liver to clear TSC from the blood. Liver uptake was not influenced by diet, but feeding MCT did significantly stimulate lung uptake of TSC (p less than 0.0001). This suggests that the hepatic TSC uptake system is not saturable, and may not be an appropriate measure of Kupffer cell function since the colloid is not phagocytosed. However, TSC blood clearance remains an excellent prognostic indicator for bacteremia and mortality in humans, and is useful for measuring global RES function.

Attenuation of the febrile response in guinea pigs by fish oil enriched diets.

The influence of dietary lipid manipulation on the fever response to an injection of murine recombinant Interleukin-1 (rIL-1) in guinea pigs was examined. The animals were fed diets identical except for the lipid source for periods of 5 and 6 wk. In vitro thromboxane B2/B3 (TxB2/B3) production in collagen-stimulated whole blood was also measured. One diet was enriched with menhaden oil, high in the omega-3 series of fatty acids. The other diet contained safflower oil, consisting primarily of the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid (74%). Animals fed the fish oil-enriched diet for 6 wk not 5 week had a blunted fever response after rIL-1 injection. This was associated with a 27% increase (p less than 0.05) in total omega-3 fatty acids in plasma phospholipids between weeks 5 and 6 in fish oil-fed animals. Safflower oil-fed animals produced a "normal" febrile response regardless of the duration of feeding. Safflower-fed guinea pigs demonstrated a significant increase in TxB2/B3 production in whole blood after 6 wks that was associated with a 25% increase (p less than 0.05) in plasma phospholipid arachidonic acid levels between weeks 5 and 6. Despite significant reductions in phospholipid linoleic acid in animals fed fish oil, arachidonic acid levels remained unchanged. In the guinea pig model used, long-term menhaden oil feeding can significantly blunt the febrile response induced by exogenous Interleukin-1. Also, a high intake of linoleic acid as seen in safflower oil feeding can significantly increase thromboxane production in stimulated whole blood.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Thermogenesis from intravenous medium-chain triglycerides.

Eighteen hospitalized patients dependent on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) were randomly enrolled into a prospective study comparing intravenous long-chain triglycerides (LCT) with a physical mixture of 75% medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and 25% LCT. The TPN was given continuously as amino acids and glucose over 5 days with the respective lipid emulsion given intermittently during each day for 10 hr. Indirect calorimetry was measured on each patient before the lipid emulsion was administered in the morning and again 10 hr later near the end of the lipid infusion, on days 1, 3, and 5. Resting energy expenditure, VO2, VCO2, and calculated fat oxidation were shown to increase during MCT infusion but not during LCT administration, (resting energy expenditure 899 +/- 37 to 1085 +/- 40, compared with 978 +/- 23 to 976 +/- 39, kcal/m2 body surface area [BSA]/day, respectively, p less than 0.0002; VO2: 129.9 +/- 5.2 to 157.2 +/- 5.9, compared with 140.9 +/- 3.6 to 141.2 +/- 5.9 ml O2/min/m2 BSA, respectively, p less than 0.0005; and VCO2: 110.7 +/- 4.4 to 127.5 +/- 4.3, compared with 118.3 +/- 2.8 to 118.0 +/- 5.3, ml CO2/min/m2 BSA, respectively, p less than 0.0076; calculated fat oxidation 10.7 +/- 1.5 to 19.3 +/- 2.4, compared with 20.0 +/- 2.7 to 20.0 +/- 3.6, kcal/m2 BSA/hr, respectively, p less than 0.014). Respiratory quotient tended to fall with lipid infusion but did not change statistically. Body temperatures were unaltered by either fat infusion. It is concluded that TPN consisting of MCT causes an increased thermogenesis, most likely through increased fat oxidation, reflective of MCT's property as an obligate fuel. The increased thermogenesis occurs without an increase in body temperature.

Effects of long-chain triglyceride emulsions on reticuloendothelial system function in humans.

Parenteral administration of long-chain triglyceride emulsions has been shown to have deleterious effects on reticuloendothelial system function in animal models. It is unknown whether this interference occurs in humans with clinically relevant doses of intravenous fat. Two studies were done. Eighteen patients were prospectively enrolled for study. Patients received full feeding by continuous total parenteral nutrition (amino acids 1.5 g/kg/day and dextrose 4.5 g/kg/day) with 33.1 kcal/kg/day. Forty-three % of the nonprotein calories were provided as soybean oil emulsion (Travamulsion 20%) and was administered intravenously over 10 hr (0.130 g/kg/hr). Reticuloendothelial system function was determined by measuring the change in the clearance rate of intravenously injected 99mTc-sulfur colloid (TSC) in each patient. In study 1 (n = 10), one day of lipid (10 hr) was infused, with the clearance of 99mTc-sulfur colloid measured before the lipid was infused and then during the last hour of the 10-hr infusion. In study 2 (n = 8), the clearance rates were measured before the lipid emulsion was begun, and then during the last hour of the infusion on the 3rd day. Clearance rates for TSC after 10 hr of lipid infusion in study 1 did not differ (0.27 +/- 1/min to 0.26 +/- 0.1/min, p greater than 0.10). However, after 3 days of lipid infusion (10 hr/day), a statistically significant reduction in TSC was seen (0.46 +/- 0.08/min-0.27 +/- 0.03/min, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Parenteral infusion of long- and medium-chain triglycerides and reticuloendothelial system function in man.

Previous study demonstrated that patients who received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with standard intermittent infusion of long chain triglyceride (LCT) at 0.13 g kg-1hr-1 over 10 hr for each of three days showed a significant decline in 99Tc-sulfur colloid (TSC) clearance rate by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). The present studies evaluated eight patients who received the same total lipid dose of LCT infused continuously as in a three-in-one admixture, and another nine patients receiving the same amount of fat as a medium chain triglyceride (MCT)/LCT (75%/25%) emulsion intermittently over 10 hr at 0.13 g kg-1hr-1 for three consecutive days. Patients were given continuous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) comprised of protein, 1.5 g kg-1day-1, and dextrose, 4.5 g kg-1day-1. RES function was examined by measuring the clearance rates of intravenously injected TSC while receiving TPN containing only protein and dextrose, and again after three days of fat infusion. Mean (+/- SEM) clearance rate constants before and after continuous LCT infusion were 0.38 +/- 0.09 and 0.41 +/- 0.08 min-1, respectively, while those before and after intermittent MCT/LCT infusion were 0.50 +/- 0.18 and 0.73 +/- 0.24 min-1, respectively. In contrast to intermittent LCT infusion, the administration of continuous LCT or an intermittent MCT/LCT mixture does not impair TSC clearance by the RES. These findings suggest that condensing the daily period of LCT infusion at standard dosage may exceed the rate of metabolic utilization, resulting in increased fat removal and diminished TSC uptake by the RES.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Medium chain triglycerides and structured lipids as unique nonglucose energy sources in hyperalimentation.

This brief review will discuss recent work concerning new intravenous lipid emulsions for future use in clinical patients. Intravenous lipid emulsions currently available in the United States are derived from soybean or safflower oils and serve as sources of nonglucose, nitrogen-sparing calories and the essential fatty acid linoleic acid. Because of concerns that much of the infused long chain triglyceride is not oxidized readily and that there may be some immune system impairment, newer emulsions utilizing medium chain triglycerides have been developed.