Septic shock induces physiologic and hemodynamic responses that may alter the host's ability to metabolize an exogenous source of
lipids. The present study examined the metabolic changes occurring during
septic shock in the young animal receiving an
intravenous fat emulsion. Five 8-wk-old male Beagle puppies were studied. Each animal served as his own control twice, during which time 14C-palmitic
acid alone or with
a 10% fat
emulsion (
Liposyn) was administered.
Septic shock (cardiac output less than 50% of control) was induced with an intravenous bolus of live Escherichia coli. During
shock the puppies received intravenous 14C-palmitic
acid and
Liposyn. The mean respiratory quotient for the
shock dogs (0.96 +/- 0.01) was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than that of the controls (0.83 +/- 0.06). The amount of expired 14CO2 was 25.0 +/- 15.9% for the
shock animals, 53.9 +/- 28.1% for the
Liposyn controls, and 75.7 +/- 30.5% for the controls receiving only 14C-palmitic
acid (these differences are all significant, p less than 0.05). After the onset of
shock, serum
triglyceride levels peaked within 2 min at 851 +/- 540 mg/100 ml and remained elevated at 333 +/- 213 mg/100 ml.
Triglyceride levels in the
Liposyn control animals returned to baseline values (54 +/- 13 mg/100 ml) at the end of the 4-hr experimental period.
Free fatty acids in the
shock dogs reached a maximal level of 1.44 +/- 0.09 mEq/liter at 1 hr and remained at this elevated value for a significantly longer period of time than in the
Liposyn control puppies.
Glycerol value followed a similar pattern and
cholesterol remain unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)