title: Human kidney free fatty acid and glucose uptake: evidence for a renal glucose-fatty acid cycle.
abstract: To determine the relationship between free fatty acids (FFA) and glucose uptake by the human kidney, 12 postabsorptive normal volunteers underwent renal vein catheterization and were infused to isotopic steady state with [6-3H]glucose and [9,10-3H]palmitate. Arterial and renal vein palmitate specific activities were not significantly different (3,533 +/- 219 vs. 3,549 +/- 220 dpm/mumol, P = 0.64). Palmitate renal fractional extraction and uptake determined isotopically (7.2 +/- 1.1% and 9.1 +/- 1.4 mumol/min) were not significantly different from those calculated by net balance measurements (8.3 +/- 1.2% and 9.7 +/- 1.2 mumol/min, P > 0.07 and P > 0.7, respectively). Renal palmitate uptake accounted for 8.7 +/- 1.3% of its systemic turnover. Renal linoleate and oleate fractional extraction calculated by net balance measurements (8.0 +/- 0.9 and 7.7 +/- 1.2%, respectively) were not significantly different from each other and that of palmitate (all P > 0.7). Renal uptake of palmitate, linoleate (7.9 +/- 1.0 mumol/min), and oleate (10.9 +/- 2.0 mumol/min) were all directly proportional to their arterial concentrations (r = 0.70, 0.68, and 0.63, respectively, all P < 0.025). Renal glucose uptake (93 +/- 10 mumol/min) accounted for 12.6 +/- 1.5% of its systemic turnover and was inversely related to the sum of palmitate, linoleate, and oleate uptake (r = -0.74, P < 0.01). These data indicate that in postabsorptive humans: 1) the kidney is an important site of FFA and glucose disposal, 2) a renal glucose-fatty acid cycle may exist, and 3) there appears to be little or no release into the circulation of stored renal FFA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Rochester, School of Medicine, New York 14642, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stumvoll
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000097:blood; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012079:Renal Circulation; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D014316:Tritium; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D005947:Glucose