Liver lipid as a source of embolic fat

¹ Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York

Little attention has been focused on the liver as a source of embolic fat. Despite this, clinical observations are available suggesting a relationship between fatty livers and the frequency and/or degree of fat embolization. By combining whole organ perfusion techniques and dietary production of fatty livers in experimental animals, a tool for evaluating the liver and its role in fat embolization has been developed. Fatty livers were produced in adult rats within 12 days by employing a high fat choline-free diet. One group of animals so prepared served as nonperfused tissue controls. Livers from normal and special dietary animals were removed and perfused for periods up to 4 hr. All tissues were frozen and then sectioned after 24-hr fixation in 10% formalin and stained with flaming red and hematoxylin. Nonperfused livers from animals on a choline-free diet revealed intense intracellular lipid concentration, but no fat emboli. Normal livers perfused for 3–4 hr were free of significant accumulation of embolic fat. In contrast, severe embolization was encountered in the perfused fatty livers.

Note:
With the Technical Assistance of Kornel Gerszi and Mary S. Northington