Influence of intravenous nutrients on bilirubin transport. III. Emulsified fat infusion.

Infusions and injections of Intralipid were administered to congenitally jaundiced rats (Gunn) in whom the total body bilirubin pool was uniformly labeled with radioactive bilirubin. These isotopic studies indicated that Intralipid treatment had no effect on the kinetics of bilirubin formation, transport, tissue distribution, and clearance. There were no significant differences between control and fat emulsion-treated animals in the total bilirubin pool, plasma bilirubin pool, biologic half-life of bilirubin, fractional turnover, and exponential decline in plasma bilirubin specific activity at steady state. Bilirubin concentrations in blood, plasma, liver, kidneys, brain, adipose tissue, and muscle were unaltered during the course of continuous infusions (up to 24 hr) of Intralipid. These results indicate that Intralipid administered in clinically applicable doses and regimens has no discernible effects on bilirubin metabolism in jaundiced rats.