title: Stearic acid unlike shorter-chain saturated fatty acids is poorly utilized for triacylglycerol synthesis and beta-oxidation in cultured rat hepatocytes.
abstract: Utilization of stearate as compared to various saturated fatty acids for cholesterol and lipid synthesis and beta-oxidation was determined in primary culture of rat hepatocytes. At 0.5 mmol/L in the medium, stearate (18:0) adequately solubilized by albumin was less inhibitory to cholesterol synthesis from [2-14C] acetate than myristate (14:0) and palmitate (16:0) (68% vs. 91 and 88% inhibition, respectively). The rate of incorporation into cholesterol from [1-14C] stearate (3.0 +/- 0.6 nmol/mg protein/4 h) was 37-, 1.8-, and 7.8-fold of that from myristate, palmitate, and oleate, respectively. Conversely, the rate of [1-14C] stearate incorporation into total glycerolipids was 88-90% lower than that of labeled palmitate, myristate, and oleate. The rate of [1-14C] stearate incorporation into triacylglycerol (3.6 +/- 0.4 nmol/mg protein/4 h) was 6-8% of that from myristate, palmitate, oleate, and linoleate. The rate of stearate incorporation into phospholipids was the lowest among tested fatty acids, whereas the rate of mono- and diacylglycerol synthesis was the highest with stearate treatment. The rate of beta-oxidation as measured by CO2 and acid soluble metabolite production was also the lowest with [1-14C] stearate treatment at 22.7 nmol/mg protein/4 h, which was 35-40% of those from other [1-14C] labeled fatty acids. A greater proportion of stearate than other fatty acids taken up by the hepatocytes remained free and was not metabolized. Clearly, stearate as compared to shorter-chain saturated fatty acids was less efficiently oxidized and esterified to triacylglycerol in cultured rat hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005989:Glycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005989:Glycerides; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D013229:Stearic Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; C031183:stearic acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D019787:Linoleic Acid