Effect of intravenous fat emulsion on experimental acute pancreatitis.

The known relationship of hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis raises the question whether intravenous fat emulsion is detrimental in acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis was induced in 52 male Sprague-Dawley rats followed by placement of a jugular catheter which was anchored to the back with a Teflon button. The animals were placed NPO in metabolic cages and continuously infused, initially with normal saline. The 37 animals surviving 24 hr were randomly assigned to group I (mean iv intake: glucose 222 kcal/kg/day; amino acids 13.1 g/kg/day) or group II (glucose 191 kcal/kg/day; intravenous fat emulsion 10% 47 kcal/kg/day; amino acids 12.9 g/kg/day). Nine animals were eliminated from the study because of mechanical problems leaving 14 in each group for analysis. Per cent survival on days 3, 5, and 7 was 64, 50 and 36 in group I, and 50, 36 and 36 in group II. Mean urinary amylase excretion was 244 +/- 185 units/day in group I and 262 +/- 127 units/day in group II. There was no significant difference in survival or urine amylase excretion nor in pancreatic histology or gross appearance of the animals between the two groups. In this model of acute pancreatitis, intravenous fat emulsion was not detrimental as measured by survival, urinary amylase excretion, and pancreatic histology.