Effect of intravenous lipid on human pancreatic secretion.

Parenteral alimentation, including intravenous fat, is sometimes used in the treatment of patients with pancreatitis, although the effect of intravenous fat on human pancreatic secretion has not been systematically studied. Intravenous fat, however, has been shown to stimulate pancreatic protein secretion in the dog. The purpose of these studies was to clarify the effect of intravenous fat on human pancreatic secretion. Pancreatic secretion was assessed by measurement of enzymes and bicarbonate in duodenal aspirate collected via a double-lumen tube from 6 healthy volunteers. Four studies were randomly conducted on different days. On day 1, graded concentrations of Intralipid (5%, 10%, and 20%) were given intravenously for 1 h each, while secretin (8.2 pmol . kg-1 . h-1) was given as a background. On day 2, the same doses of Intralipid were infused intravenously without secretin. On day 3, the same doses of Intralipid were perfused into the intestine, and, finally, on day 4, 20% Intralipid was given by intestinal infusion for 2 h while 10% Intralipid was infused intravenously during the second hour. Significant stimulation of enzyme secretion was observed only during the infusion of fat into the intestine, not after intravenous infusion at any concentration. Pancreatic enzyme secretion, stimulated by intraintestinal fat, was not significantly modified by simultaneous intravenous lipid infusion. We conclude that since intravenous fat does not stimulate pancreatic secretion, its use in conditions where pancreatic stimulation is undesirable appears safe.