title: Pivalate affects carnitine status but causes no severe metabolic changes in rat liver.
abstract: To investigate the carnitine deficiency induced by pivalate, rats had free access to drinking water with or without pivalate. Consumption of 20 mmol/L pivalate for 1 wk decreased the levels of both free and total carnitine in plasma to approximately 20% of levels before treatment. After 4 wk, the concentrations of free carnitine in the liver, heart and muscle of pivalate-treated rats were approximately 60-80% of the control, and in the kidney, 26% of the control. Fractional excretion of free carnitine (FEFC) in pivalate-treated rats was measured; however, the treatment for 3 or 8 d did not affect the values relative to those obtained before treatment. Treatment with pivalate for 4 wk did not affect plasma concentrations of glucose, ammonia and free fatty acids (FFA) in the rats; however, the concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) was higher, and the FFA/3-OHB ratio was lower than those of controls. In a liver perfusion study, ketogenesis from oleate and gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate in rats treated with pivalate for 4 wk were not different from controls. These results suggest that administration of pivalate did not induce the excessive excretion of free carnitine in urine, and secondary carnitine deficiency induced by intake of 20 mmol/L pivalate for 4 wk did not cause severe metabolic changes in rat liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kodo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kizaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nukina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinugasa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007773:Lactates / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010421:Pentanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000378:metabolism; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D007657:Ketone Bodies; D007773:Lactates; D010421:Pentanoic Acids; D011773:Pyruvates; D019344:Lactic Acid; C005566:pivalic acid; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D002331:Carnitine; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid