title: Lipid infusion with different triglyceride cores (long-chain vs medium-chain/long-chain triglycerides): effect on plasma lipids and bilirubin binding in premature infants.
abstract: The possible beneficial effects of infusing a lipid emulsion containing 50% by weight of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) compared with a standard long-chain triglyceride (LCT) emulsion were studied in 18 premature neonates (gestational age less than 34 weeks) requiring parenteral nutrition. The infants were assigned in a double-blind manner to receive one of the two lipid emulsions over 17 hours a day as a supplemental regimen for total parenteral nutrition. A lipid load of 1 g/kg per day was initiated on the third day of life and was increased at the rate of 1 g/kg per day until a maximal dose of 3 g/kg per day was obtained on the fifth day of life and maintained thereafter. Both bound and unbound bilirubin decreased with both infusion regimens during the study period. Despite a marked increase in plasma free fatty acid levels (260% in the MCT/LCT group compared with 210% in the LCT group), the fraction of unbound (free) bilirubin was significantly lower in the MCT/LCT group (34% vs 13%). Free fatty acid levels, corrected to albumin, were positively correlated to the percentage of free bilirubin only for the LCT lipid infusion. The finding of a significant elevation of plasma cholesterol levels only in the MCT/LCT group is now under investigation. Use of the MCT-containing emulsion was not associated with a higher frequency of adverse effects than the commonly used LCT-containing emulsion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wielunsky
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merlob
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lichtenberg
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D001663:Bilirubin