Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1974 Mar;15(3):180–184. doi: 10.1136/gut.15.3.180

Medium chain triglycerides and hepatic encephalopathy

M Hilary Morgan, C H Bolton, J S Morris, A E Read
PMCID: PMC1412890  PMID: 4841275

Abstract

The oral administration of short (C6) and medium (C8 and (C10) chain triglycerides produced no clinical or electroencephalographic changes in patients with cirrhosis of the liver.

Arterial ammonia levels were also monitored in these patients and showed no significant change after medium chain triglycerides.

It was concluded that medium chain triglycerides, known to be of potential value in the treatment of malabsorption in patients with cirrhosis, are not clinically contraindicated, even in patients with evidence of hepatic encephalopathy.

Full text

PDF
180

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burke V., Danks D. M. Medium-chain triglyceride diet: its use in treatment of liver disease. Br Med J. 1966 Oct 29;2(5521):1050–1051. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5521.1050. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DAHL D. R., DAHL N., SAMSON F. E., Jr A study on the narcotic action of the short chain fatty acids. J Clin Invest. 1956 Nov;35(11):1291–1298. doi: 10.1172/JCI103384. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DOLE V. P., MEINERTZ H. Microdetermination of long-chain fatty acids in plasma and tissues. J Biol Chem. 1960 Sep;235:2595–2599. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FERNANDES J., van de KAMER J. H., WEIJERS H. A. Differences in absorption of the various fatty acids studied in children with steatorrhea. J Clin Invest. 1962 Mar;41:488–494. doi: 10.1172/JCI104502. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Linscheer W. G., Blum A. L., Platt R. R. Transfer of medium chain fatty acids from blood to spinal fluid in patients with cirrhosis. Gastroenterology. 1970 Apr;58(4):509–515. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Linscheer W. G., Castell D. O., Platt R. R. A new method for evaluation of portasystemic shunting. The rectal octanoate tolerance test. Gastroenterology. 1969 Oct;57(4):415–423. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Linscheer W. G., Patterson J. F., Moore E. W., Clermont R. J., Robins S. J., Chalmers T. C. Medium and long chain fat absorption in patients with cirrhosis. J Clin Invest. 1966 Aug;45(8):1317–1325. doi: 10.1172/JCI105438. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MUTO Y., TAKAHASHI Y., KAWAMURA H. [EFFECT OF SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS ON THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THE NEO-, PALEO-, AND ARCHICORTICAL SYSTEM]. No To Shinkei. 1964 Jul;16:601–608. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Read A. E., Laidlaw J., McCarthy C. F. Effects of chlorpromazine in patients with hepatic disease. Br Med J. 1969 Aug 30;3(5669):497–499. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5669.497. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Read A. E., McCarthy C. F., Ajdukiewicz A. B., Brown G. J. Encephalopathy after portacaval anastomosis. Lancet. 1968 Nov 9;2(7576):999–1001. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)91295-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. SAMSON F. E., Jr, WHITE R. P. Effects of fatty acid anions on the electroencephalogram of unanesthetized rabbits. Am J Physiol. 1956 Aug;186(2):271–274. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1956.186.2.271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SEEGMILLER J. E., SCHWARTZ R., DAVIDSON C. S. The plasma ammonia and glutamine content in patients with hepatic coma. J Clin Invest. 1954 Jul;33(7):984–988. doi: 10.1172/JCI102976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. SELIGSON D., HIRAHARA K. The measurement of ammonia in whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma. J Lab Clin Med. 1957 Jun;49(6):962–974. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Zieve L. Pathogenesis of hepatic coma. Arch Intern Med. 1966 Sep;118(3):211–223. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES