Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and blood viscosity as modified by fat emulsions

¹ Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

The effect of lecithin and lecithin-free intravenous fat emulsions on erythrocyte sedimentation and blood viscosity was investigated. Lecithin-emulsified cottonseed oil markedly depressed erythrocyte sedimentation and increased blood viscosity of human and dog blood. This effect was only temporary and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate returned to normal within 24 hours as determined by an in vivo study with dogs. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate of human and dog erythrocytes incubated in cottonseed oil emulsified with polyethylene glycol stearate, more closely resembled that of whole blood. Blood viscosity decreased in the presence of this emulsifier. It is conclude that the influence of lipemia on erythrocyte sedimentation and blood viscosity is due to the emulsifier rather than the oil component of the chylomicron.