Effects of injected lipid emulsion on oxygen consumption, RQ, triglyceride, free-fatty-acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants.

UNLABELLED

Ten SGA infants were studied from 4 hours after birth (day l) and again at 28 hours (day 2) before and for 4 hours after single injections of 0.5 g of Intralipid fat/kg b.w. (IL-group). Eight other SGA infants were given 9-10 ml/kg of breast milk (BM-group). After lipid injection the elimination of triglycerides (TG) from plasma was markedly delayed. On day 2 lipolysis had improved but was still slower than in previously studied AGA infants. The initial FFA plasma level was higher on day 1 than on day 2. Oxidation of released fatty acids was confirmed by a significant increase of VO2 and a decrease of RQ on day 1 and 2. In all infants the beta-hydroxybutyrate level in plasma increased and was still elevated 4 hours after injection of fat. A negative correlation was found between beta-hydroxybutyrate levels and RQ. In the BM-group changes in TG and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were small and insignificant. FFA had decreased 60 min after breast milk on day 1.

IN CONCLUSION

TG elimination from plasma was impaired on day 1 and had slightly improved on day 2. The fatty acids released by lipolysis were oxidized as seen by increasing VO2, falling RQ and increasing beta-hydroxybutyrate plasma levels both on day 1 and day 2.