Organ changes in pigs after longterm parenteral nutrition

When nutritional substrates used in clinical parenteral nutrition are given to rats a number of organ changes have been reported. These could be a species-related effect without significance outside the experimental laboratory. The reproduction of such organ changes in a large unrelated species would increase their importance. Longterm complete parenteral nutrition (CPN) was given to piglets. Nutritional substrates accepted in human parenteral nutrition were used, and the animals were parenterally fed for 6 and 12 weeks. Autopsy demonstrated an increased splenic weight. Epithelioid cell infiltration was found in the liver, spleen and lung. Osmiophilic fat droplets and vascular inflammation were seen in the pulmonary arteries. No signs of infections were found.