Recently in PNAS, Hoshi et al. (1) report the results of elegant studies defining the molecular basis for the blood pressure-lowering effect of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They found that DHA, when infused intravenously, activated the large-conductance Caand voltage-activated K (BK) channels in vascular smooth muscle but that the infusion of DHA ethyl esters (...

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to identify the causes of severe lipemia in an academic medical center patient population and to determine the relationship between lipemia and hemolysis. DESIGN AND METHODS Retrospective study was done on the data from the core clinical laboratory at an academic medical center. Lipemic indices were available for all chemistry specimens analyzed over a 1...

The infusion of lipid emulsions allows a high energy supply, facilitates the prevention of high glucose infusion rates and is indispensable for the supply with essential fatty acids. The administration of lipid emulsions is recommended within < or =7 days after starting PN (parenteral nutrition) to avoid deficiency of essential fatty acids. Low-fat PN with a high glucose intake increases the ri...

The hepatic removal of plasma chylomicrons was determined for rats fed the following diets: a) containing no triglyceride, b) regular chow diet with 4.5% of its mass as lipid and, c) a corn oil-supplemented chow with triglyceride accounting for 20% of the mass. The fractional hepatic uptake of either radiolabeled chylomicrons or a triglyceride emulsion was reciprocally related to the amount of ...

BACKGROUND The clinical safety and the uptake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into the serum phospholipids and erythrocyte membranes after administration of fish-oil-supplemented parenteral nutrition (PN) was investigated in colorectal surgical patients. METHODS Forty patients undergoing colorectal surgery (n = 40) and with an indication for PN were enrolled in a prospective, do...