Alterations in Lipid Metabolism during Pancreatic Disorders

Abstract

To investigate the influences of pancreatic disorders on lipid metabolism, the changes, in blood lipid fractions and in blood clearing factors were observed clinically and experimentally after the oral and intravenous administration of fats.
(A) In order to study the alterations in digestion and absorption of fat during pancreaticdisorders, the changes in blood total fatty acids, nonesterified fatty acids and fattyacid compositions of blood lipids were determined to 6 hours after the oral administrationof 0.5g per kg of body weight of olive oil and safflower oil, respectively, to thepatients with chronic pancreatitis and to the dogs with acute pancreatitis which wereinduced by the injection of gall powder solution into the pancreatic duct.
After the administration of olive oil, the changes in serum total fatty acid levelshowed no significant differences between the dogs with acute pancreatitis and normaldogs, while after the administration of safflower oil, both the time to reach its peak andto return to the preabsorptive level were delayed in dogs with acute pancreatitis.
Elevation of serum oleic acid after the administration of olive oil to the dogs withacute pancreatitis was not only lower but also more delayed than to the normal dogs, while elevation of serum linoleic acid after the administration of safflower oil (3 dasyafter the operation) was higher and remained for a longer time than the control.
Elevation of serum total fatty acid level after the administration of olive or saffloweroil to the patients with chronic pancreatitis was slightly higher than that to thenormal subjects and showed a delayed recovery time.
Elevation in oleic or linoleic acid in serum fatty acid composition of the patientswith chronic pancreatitis was significantly higher than that of the normal subjects, and the recovery of the elevation to preabsorptive level was delayed.
(B) In order to study the removal of lipids from circulating blood during pancreaticdisorders, changes of total lipid level and turbidity in blood of the dogs with acutepancreatitis were detected after the intravenous injection of 0.5 g per kg of body weightof Fatgen (commercial fat emulsion, 20%). In addition, the alterations of post-heparinplasma clearing factors of the dogs with acute pancreatitis and of the patients withchronic pancreatitis were determined.
After the intravenous administration of Fatgen, lower and more delayed increases ofserum total lipids and of plasma turbidities were found in the dogs with acute pancreatitisthan in the normal dogs.
Post-heparin plasma clearing factors of the dogs with acute pancreatitis showed nosignificant alterations compared with those of the normal dogs. Clearing factors of thepatients with chronic pancreatitis also showed few differences from those of the normalsubjects.