Different clearance of intravenously administered olive oil and soybean-oil emulsions: role of hepatic lipase.

The elimination of two intravenously administered fat emulsions consisting of either 20% (wt:vol) soybean oil or 17% olive oil plus 3% soybean oil was studied in six normolipidemic young men according to a randomized crossover protocol. Slower elimination was found with the olive oil emulsion. A significantly lower maximal removal capacity (K1) and fractional catabolic rate (K2) were measured with olive oil emulsion (P < 0.05). Removal of olive oil emulsion was inversely related to hepatic lipase activity (r = -0.85; P < 0.05). Removal of soybean-oil emulsion was related to the initial plasma triglyceride concentration (r = -0.84; P < 0.05) but not to lipolytic activity. In vivo apolipoprotein C-II binding was similar for both emulsions. Therefore, hepatic lipase activity is more important in the elimination of olive oil emulsions than soybean-oil emulsions. The faster elimination of soybean-oil emulsions suggests an additional elimination pathway, such as the reticuloendothelial system.