[The effect of surgical trauma on the metabolism of essential fatty acids in patients with cancer of the esophagus and stomach]. / Vliianie operatsionnoi travmy na metabolizm nezamenimykh zhirnykh kislot u bol'nykh rakom pishchevoda i zheludka.

The dynamics of levels of essential fatty (linolic and arachidonic) acids in blood plasma and erythrocytes as well as that of free fatty acids fraction versus duration of surgery was assessed by gas chromatography in 49 patients with cancer of the esophagus and gastric cardia. Surgical procedures lasting longer than 5 hours are followed by overmobilization of essential fatty acids from body lipids their endogenous store being depleted. As a result, a double increase in the level of free arachidonic acid, an immediate prostaglandin precursor, develops to satisfy the body's augmented requirements in essential fatty acids due to application of aggressive surgical procedures.

[The effect of parenteral feeding on the metabolism of arachidonic acid in patients with cancer of the esophagus and the stomach]. / Vliianie parenteral'nogo pitaniia na metabolizm arakhidonovoi kisloty u bol'nykh rakom pishchevoda i zheludka.

Blood plasma and erythrocyte level of arachidonic acid (C20:4) and blood plasma level of its two metabolites (6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2) have been investigated in 24 patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. In the preoperative period and during 8-10 days postoperatively 12 patients were on "glucose" energy supply (group I) and 12 patients were on "lipid" energy supply (group II). Daily calorie intake was 30-35 kcal/kg. In the preoperative period Lipofundin-S infusions produced a significant increase in C20:4 blood plasma and erythrocyte levels. An increase in TXB2 concentration was accompanied by a certain increase in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha content. At the same time in group I parenteral feeding caused no significant changes in the above parameters. Surgical trauma and anesthesia caused a considerable increase in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha blood plasma level in both groups (P less than 0.05), with a certain decrease in TXB2 level (P greater than 0.05). In the postoperative period, unlike "glucose", "lipid" energy supply stabilized C20:4 content in the erythrocyte membrane and favourably affected 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratio. This is confirmed by a considerable increase in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratio, which in the course of the postoperative period was significantly higher in group II than in group I.