Postoperative behavior of parameters of intravascular lipid metabolism

: In order to investigate alterations of intravascular lipoprotein metabolism under postoperative conditions, clinical investigations and animal experiments with female Wistar rats were carried out. Total serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol are diminished in the postoperative state. In the immediate postoperative phase there is a rapid decrease of serum triglycerides. Post-heparin-lipolytic-activity is found initially enhanced whereas there is no change of triglyceride secretion rate. It is concluded that the decreased triglyceride level is the result of an elevated catabolism of triglyceride rich lipoproteins. Besides the fall of VLDL level the relative composition of VLDL changes. The quotients VLDL triglycerides/VLDL-phospholipids and VLDL-cholesterol/VLDL-phospholipids decrease under postoperative conditions.