Total nutritional support through the peritoneal cavity

We prepared ten dogs with intraperitoneal catheters to allow total nutritional support for 30 days by constant infusion of a solution containing 1.5% amino acid, 10% glucose, and 1% lipids at a rate of 4 ml/kg/hr. Seven dogs survived in apparent good health but with a 13.9 +/- 1.3% weight loss. There was no correlation between actual caloric input and percentage of weight loss. Serum albumin concentration fell to 2.6 +/- 0.3 gm/dl but other chemistries remained near normal. The peritoneum showed significant inflammatory reaction but this resolved by 30 days. Three dogs died in the first week from what appeared to be circulatory collapse from rapid fluid shifts. We conclude that a significant amount of nutrients can be delivered through the peritoneal cavity but whether total nutritional support is feasible remains to be proven.