title: Assessment of the nutritional value of glycerol-1,2, 3-tris(methylsuccinate) in fed and starved rats.
abstract: The nutritional value of glycerol-1,2,3-tris(methylsuccinate), a novel ester of succinic acid with high insulinotropic efficiency both in vitro and in vivo, was assessed in both fed and starved rats. The infusion of the ester, given in a daily amount (1.2 micromol. g body wt-1) well in excess of what could result from its repeated intravenous administration as an insulinotropic agent in non-insulin-dependent diabetes (0.07 micromol. g body wt-1 for each administration), failed to prevent the fall in body weight, liver and muscle glycogen contents, and plasma d-glucose or insulin concentration, as well as the increase in plasma free fatty acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations caused by starvation. The sole indications that the ester may serve, to a limited extent, as an alternative nutrient in starved rats consisted in a somewhat higher weight of both liver and paraovarian adipose tissue and somewhat higher activity of liver glucokinase in rats receiving the ester than in animals infused with saline. The low nutritional value of this ester thus answers the objection of its possible role as an extrapancreatic nutrient or gluconeogenic precursor in the perspective of its use as an insulinotropic tool in type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ladrière
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Björkling
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Malaisse
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy; D004435:Eating; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D005941:Glucokinase / Q000378:metabolism; D005990:Glycerol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006003:Glycogen / Q000032:analysis; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013386:Succinates
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018118:Chloride Channels; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D011506:Proteins; D013386:Succinates; C107089:glycerol-1,2,3-trimethylsuccinate; D006003:Glycogen; D005941:Glucokinase; D005990:Glycerol; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid