The role of liver and spleen in the metabolism of intravenously injected fat in rabbits.

The uptake of intravenously injected coconut oil emulsion by the liver and spleen was investigated by gas-liquid chromatography in normal, triton-injected, and hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The lauric and myristic acids from this emulsion, almost absent in the tissues of normal animals, were used as marked acids. In normal rabbits only the liver took up a quantitatively important fraction of the injected fat. The uptake by the spleen appears to be due to a different mechanism than that of the liver. In rabbits given triton the liver was incapable of taking up large quantities of fat, while the uptake in the spleen was undisturbed. 12 hours after injection the plasma, liver, and spleen of normal animals contained only 14 per cent of the dose. With animals given triton 71 per cent of the injected dose was recovered, most of it in the plasma. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits cleared an injected fat emulsion and took fat into the liver at the same rate as the controls. When triton is injected 6 hours after the administration of the emulsion, the fat taken up in the liver reappears in the plasma.