Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
Published on: July 27, 2022
Hepatic dysfunction in patients receiving intravenous lipid emulsions
1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
Until recently, intravenous lipid emulsions (ILEs) have consisted of soybean oil (SO) only. This review addresses recent developments in the field, including the problem of intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD) that can occur with the use of ILEs in children and adults, and newer ILEs that may minimize and reverse IFALD.
Recent Findings:
Cholestasis is the primary manifestation of IFALD in premature infants receiving ILEs, whereas in older children and adults, steatosis is predominant. Two alternative ILEs have been extensively investigated for both safety and efficacy. SMOF, an ILE containing medium chain triglyceride, soybean oil, olive oil and fish oil (FO), is now widely used in both children and adults. A newer FO ILE is approved for use in children only. However, in case reports FO ILE has been shown to improve IFALD in adults. A number of new studies suggest that cholestasis from ILEs is dose-related. IFALD does not improve in many patients after transition from SO to SMOF, but partial or complete replacement with FO can halt and reverse IFALD.
Summary:
Adverse hepatic effects from ILEs are to some extent dose-related. Overfeeding with fat or with carbohydrate, or simply providing excessive calories in general, may be responsible. More research is needed investigating dose-related effects of macronutrients on liver injury.
Related Concept Videos
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Hemodialysis II: Procedure and Complications
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Enterohepatic Cycling
Post-release drugs and metabolites can be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. For conjugated metabolites like glucuronides, reabsorption requires enzymatic hydrolysis by intestinal microflora. This...
Esophageal Varices-II: Clinical Features and Management
In the initial assessment, a thorough review of the patient's medical history is vital to identify risk factors such as liver disease, alcohol...
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors

