Systemic effects of ethanolamine oleate in analbuminemic rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The present study was an attempt to clarify whether only serum albumin inactivates ethanolamine oleate (EO) in vivo and whether EO has an adverse effect on the lung, kidney, and liver in the presence of analbuminemia. METHODOLOGY: Fifty-five female Nagase Analbuminemia Rats (NAR) and 55 female Sprague-Dawley Rats (SDR) were injected with 5% EO in the left femoral vein. Changes in respiratory, renal, and hepatic function and the extent of hemolysis following the injection of the EO were examined. RESULTS: In both groups, a transient but significant increase was seen in serum hemoglobin at up to 1 hour after injection of EO. No significant changes in PaO₂, PaCO₂, blood urea nitrogen, or serum creatinine following injection of EO were seen in either group. The total bilirubin significantly increased within 30 min in the SDR group, but this increase was prolonged for 5 days in the NAR group. Glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) increased for 12 hours in the NAR group, while no change was seen in the SDR group. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that EO may have hepatotoxic effects, that serum albumin may afford protection, and that other humoral substances which inactivate EO, including serum globulin, may be present.