Vitamin K1 distribution following intravenous vitamin K1–fat emulsion administration in rats

Abstract This study investigated vitamin K 1 (VK 1 ) distribution following intravenous vitamin K 1 –fat emulsion (VK 1 –FE) administration and compared it with that after VK 1 injection. Rats were intravenously injected with VK 1 –FE or VK 1 . The organ and tissue VK 1 concentrations were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography method at 0.5, 2 and 4 h to determine distribution, equilibrium and elimination phases, respectively. In the VK 1 –FE group, the plasma, heart and spleen VK 1 concentrations decreased over time. However, other organs like liver, lung, kidney, muscle and testis, reached peak VK 1 concentrations at 2 h. In the VK 1 injection group, the liver VK 1 concentrations were significantly higher than those in other organs at the three time points. However, VK 1 concentrations in the other organs peaked at 2 h. In addition, in VK 1 –FE group, the heart, spleen and lung VK 1 concentrations were significantly higher than those in the VK 1 injection group at the three time points, and the liver VK 1 concentration was significantly higher than that in the VK 1 injection group at 4 h. The VK 1 amount was greatest in the liver compared with the other organs. Thus, the liver is the primary organ for VK 1 distribution. The distribution of VK 1 is more rapid when injected as VK 1 –FE than as VK 1 . Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.