Lipogenesis from glucose-2-14C and acetate-1-14C in aorta

• Main Author: CHARLES F. HOWARD, JR.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 1971-11-01
• Series: Journal of Lipid Research
• Subjects: aortic lipogenesis; lipid degradation
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002222752039461X

Lipogenesis was measured with glucose-2-14C and acetate-1-14C in the everted aortas of normal and atherosclerotic rabbits. More glucose-2-14C than acetate-1-14C was incorporated into lipids in both the normal and the atherosclerotic aorta.Radiocarbon from glucose-2-14C appeared mainly in triglycerides and phospholipids with a small amount in cholesteryl esters. Incorporation increased almost threefold with atherosclerosis, most of the radioactivity being in the glycerol moiety; radioactivity was predominantly in carbon 2 of glycerol.About 70% of the acetate-1-14C incorporated into phospholipids and triglycerides was in the fatty acids, and the remainder was in glyceride-glycerol; 98% of the radioactivity in cholesteryl esters was in the fatty acid moiety. Incorporation into cholesteryl esters was increased most during the development of atherosclerosis.Fatty acid synthesis was similar from both acetate-1-14C and the 2 carbon unit derived from glucose-2-14C, viz., predominantly de novo synthesis of fatty acids with 14 and 16 carbon atoms, and elongation for those of 18 carbons and longer.