Abstract
Many major inflammatory stimuli induce secondary conditions of blood hyperfibrinogenemia and fibrinolytic inhibition, changes which may be mediated by alterations in free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism. The effect of a free fatty acidemia induced by the intravenous infusion of a triglyceride into rabbits on the fibrinogen/fibrinolytic system was determined. A 3-h infusion of synthetic fat emulsion induced a rapid rise in FFA (0.4–2.1μEq/ml in 3 h) followed by a more gradual rise in fibrinogen (2.6–4.3 mg/ml at 24 h),α 1-antitrypsin (1.1–1.9 mg/ml at 48 h), and serum fibrinolysis inhibitory activity (increased 202% at 48 h). Increases in protein concentration were due to increased synthesis. It is proposed that the changes in the fibrinogen/fibrinolytic system which follow major inflammatory stimuli are induced by a mediating free fatty acidemia. Possible pharmacological procedures to block these changes are discussed.