title: Alpha-oxidation of fatty acids in fasted or diabetic rats.
abstract: Induction of alpha-oxidation, a possible gluconeogenic process, which should produce odd-chain fatty acids from even-chain fatty acids, was studied in rats fasted or made diabetic with streptozotocin. When a omega-phenylated even-chain fatty acid, phenylbutyric acid (1.2 mmol/kg), was administered to rats under these conditions, a significant increase in the urinary excretion of benzoic acid, the metabolic end-product of omega-phenylated odd-chain fatty acids, was observed in fasted (3.54 +/- 0.46 mumol/day) and diabetic (6.73 +/- 2.10) rats (control, 0.58 +/- 0.43; P less than 0.001). Phenylated longer chain fatty acids, phenylhexanoic and phenyldecanoic acid, did not produce significantly more benzoic acid than did phenylbutyric acid. Although the rate of alpha-oxidation was very low compared to that of beta-oxidation, these results suggested that alpha-oxidation of fatty acids was induced under fasting or diabetic conditions, and that alpha-oxidation might take place at the butyric acid stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metabolic Medicine, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shichiri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010654:Phenylbutyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010654:Phenylbutyrates