IN VIVO STUDIES OF THE ROLE OF ALBUMIN IN ENDOGENOUS AND HEPARIN-ACTIVATED LIPEMIA-CLEARING IN NEPHROTIC RATS 1

Abstract

The effect of administration of heparin and albumin, alone or in combination, upon the plasma lipids of nephrotic rats was studied during both the induction and chronic phases of experimental nephrosis induced by antikidney serum injection. Heparin administration induced only a minimal lipemia-clearing response in severely hypoalbuminemic rats, unless albumin was simultaneously given. The concurrent administration of heparin markedly augmented the ability of infused albumin to correct the hyperlipemia and hypercholesteremia of the nephrotic rat. It was suggested that an additional causal factor underlying nephrotic hyperlipemia, other than deficiency of plasma albumin, may be the renal loss in such rats of "clearing-factor" or some co-factor essential to lipolytic processes. Data provide an in vivo confirmation of the essential role of albumin for endogenous and heparin-activated lipemia-clearing and are consonant with the belief that heparin affects lipemia-clearing by accelerating normally occurring lipolytic processes.