Fat emulsion infusion potentiates coagulation activation during human endotoxemia

Thromb Haemost. 1996 Jan;75(1):83-6.

Abstract

Intravenous fat emulsions are frequently given to malnourished patients who are prone to suffer from infectious complications. As injection of low dose endotoxin represents a model to study the human response to acute infection, we sought to determine the effect of lipid emulsion infusion on endotoxin-induced activation of the hemostatic mechanism in man. Ten healthy men received a bolus intravenous injection of endotoxin (lot EC-5; 20 U/kg) midway through a 4-h infusion (125 ml/h) of either dextrose 5% (n = 5) or Intralipid 20% (n = 5). Lipid infusion potentiated endotoxin-induced coagulation activation, as indicated by higher plasma levels of the prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 and of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes (both p < 0.05 for the difference between groups). However, lipid infusion did not influence the fibrinolytic response to intravenous endotoxin, as reflected by similar increases in the levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complexes in both groups. Endotoxin-induced appearance of plasminogen activator inhibitor type I was enhanced by lipid infusion (p < 0.05). These data suggest that fat emulsion infusion may enhance the tendency towards thrombotic complications in patients with infections.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bacterial Infections / therapy*
  • Blood Coagulation / drug effects*
  • Endotoxins / blood*
  • Fat Emulsions, Intravenous / therapeutic use*
  • Fibrinolysis / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Male

Substances

  • Endotoxins
  • Fat Emulsions, Intravenous