Mortality and organ changes in rats receiving different parenteral nutritional substrates

Abstract This study concerns harmful effects of systemic administered parenteral nutrition in Wistar rats. A standard complete parenteral nutrition (CPN) regimen, its main components (Vamin-N ® , Intralipid ® 20% and Glucose 50%) and different doses of these substrates were investigated. All animals receiving Vamin and Intralipid died within 30 and 45 days respectively. All animals except for those receiving glucose showed a tendency to increased weight of liver, spleen and lungs compared to the controls. Microscopical examination revealed epithelioid cell granulomas in liver, spleen and lungs in animals given Vamin and Intralipid, in addition to vasculitis with thrombus formation in the lungs. Osmiophilic fat droplets were found in the pulmonary capillaries in all animals receiving Intralipid, but not in rats receiving Vamin. Most microscopical findings were dose dependent, indicating that the organ changes in liver, spleen and lungs and cause of death may be due to the nutritive substrates themselves.