Comparison of Fat Emulsion Clearing Activities of Postheparin Plasma and Pancreatic Lipase

Abstract

Work has been carried out to compare the properties of the lipemia clearing factor of postheparin plasma and pancreatic lipase. It was found that both postheparin plasma and pancreatic lipase exhibited lipolytic activity and were capable of clearing the turbidity of neutral fat emulsion. Intravenous administration of pancreatic lipase was able to clear alimentary lipemia and postlipase plasma was also capable of clearing the turbidity of neutral fat emulsion in vitro. However, the results indicated that the lipemia clearing factor of postheparin plasma was not identical with pancreatic lipase or serum lipase of pancreatic origin. No appreciable change in plasma lipase was observed following intravenous administration of heparin. It is suggested that the lipemia clearing factor of postheparin plasma might be a specific esterase which is capable of splitting the ester bonds of neutral fat of long chain fatty acids.