Studies in Fat Metabolism

%he present communication reports the results obtained from studies on the blood lipids either after introducing a single fatty acid by the duodenal tube, or the oral feeding of single pure foodstuffs.The studies include the determination of the lipid, nitrogenous, and dextrose fractions of the whole blood, and, also, the iodine numbers of the cholesterol and total fatty acids.In many subjects the oxygen consumption was also determined.Studies (1) on the lipid fraction of the "fasting" blood of man have been reported; and, also, studies (2) of the changes in the blood lipids of animals after being fed fats.Only scanty data, however, are available on the effect of the duodenal introduction of a single unsaturated fatty acid (3) or on the comparative effects of fat and non-fat meals on the lipids of the blood.During the present investigation, observations were made on the bloods of apparently normal young adults.All experiments were commenced 15 hours after the ingestion of any food.The studies comprised series of observations made: (1) during the fasting state; (2) after the duodenal introduction of oleic acid; (3) after the ingestion singly of relatively pure foodstuffs, olive oil, hard-boiled egg white, and chemically pure dextrose; and (4) after the ingestion of a fat-free meal composed of 60 gm. of Grape-nuts, 70 gm. of Karo syrup, 70 gm. of hard-boiled egg white, a cup of coffee with 6 gm. of sugar, and an orange.During all observations the subjects were reclining and were allowed t,o drink water in any quantity desired.For duodenal introduction, 25 cc. of oleic acid and 75 cc. of tap water were used.50 cc. of olive oil were given by mouth and followed by 200 cc. of tap water.240 gm.