Effect of acetate administration on blood lipids.

An infusion of 180 mEq sodium acetate was given to nine dialysis patients and eight normal volunteers simulating the transfer of acetate that occurs during 30 min of rapid hemodialysis. While serum acetate concentrations had almost normalized 15 min after the end of infusion, there was no increase in serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. In this short-term study, acetate does not appear to be a major contributing factor for the hyperlipidemia of dialysis patients.