A new correction factor for use in tracer estimations of plasma fatty acid oxidation. Sidossis, L. S., A. R. Coggan, A. Gastaldelli, and R. R. Wolfe. Metabolism Unit, Shriners Burns Institute, and Departments of Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Biochemistry, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550
APStracts 2:0102E, 1995.
The purpose of this study was to acquire a new correction factor for use in tracer estimations of plasma fatty acid oxidation that would fully account for label fixation during the infusion of fatty acid tracers. Thus, volunteers were infused with [1-13C]-labeled fatty acids and [1-14C] acetate in the basal state, during hyperinsulinemia-hyperglycemia (clamp), and during one hour of cycling exercise. The fractional recovery of acetate label (i.e., the acetate correction factor) was 0.56+/-0.02, 0.50+/-0.03, and 0.80+/ -0.03, in the basal state, during the clamp, and exercise, respectively. Isotopically determined plasma fatty acid oxidation rates ([mu]mol. kg-1. min-1) were 1.7+/-0.2, 0.8+/-0.2, 6.4+/-0.5 (no correction), 2.1+/-0.2, 1.0+/-0.2, 6.7+/-0.5 (bicarbonate correction), and 3.1+/-0.2, 1.5+/-0.2, 8.2+/-0.4 (acetate correction). We conclude that the use of the acetate correction factor, in the place of the bicarbonate correction factor, should improve the accuracy of isotopic measurements of plasma fatty acid oxidation, because it accounts for label fixation that might occur at any step between the entrance of labeled acetyl-CoA into the TCA cycle until the recovery of label in breath CO2.

Received 23 February 1995; accepted in final form 28 April 1995.
APS Manuscript Number E89-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 16 May 1995.