Lorenzo’s oil

General information

Lorenzo’s oil is a 4:1 mixture of glyceryl trioleate and glyceryl trierucate. It is used in patients with adrenoleukodystrophy. The dyslipidemia in patients with adrenoleukodystrophy consists of increased blood concentrations of very-long-chain saturated fatty acids, particularly hexacosaenoic acid (C26:0). Treatment with Lorenzo’s oil has tended to normalize the abnormality in the blood while the patient deteriorates. Neurological changes are unrelated to the fatty acid changes in the blood and erucic acid does not seem to enter the brain. It is not known whether it works.

In 22 patients treated for at least 12 months, although Lorenzo’s oil did not seem to be beneficial, there were possible adverse effects, such as mild increases in liver enzymes (55%) and thrombocytopenia (55%), and adverse reactions, such as gastrointestinal complaints (14%), and gingivitis (14%). Furthermore, there were falls in hemoglobin concentration and leukocyte count, and an increase in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity; the reduction in platelet count did not result in hemorrhage [ ]. Whether some of the adverse effects of Lorenzo’s oil are due to low concentrations of essential fatty acids or caused by reduced dietary fat intake is not known.