title: Use of dual isotope tracers in biomedical research.
abstract: Biomedical stable isotope studies involve administration of tracer and measurement of isotope enrichment in blood, urine, feces or breath. The aim of the studies is to gather quantitative information about a specific metabolic function. However, the measured isotope enrichment may be affected by other metabolic events than only this function. In this case, a correction is necessary. The best approach is to add a second tracer simultaneously which is known to be metabolised by all interfering metabolic events but not by the function of interest. This dual isotope approach also enables simultaneous measurement of two interrelated functions. A summary of selected applications involving dual isotope tracer studies is presented. The applications deal with energy expenditure (doubly labelled water technique), cholesterol absorption, starch and lactose digestion, fat digestion, bile acid metabolism and the combination of stable and radioactive carbon isotopes in breath testing.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, Laboratory of Pediatrics, 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. f.stellard@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stellaard
mesh_terms: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001823:Body Composition; D001944:Breath Tests; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007785:Lactose / Q000378:metabolism; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D005223:Fats; D011849:Radioactive Tracers; D013213:Starch; D002784:Cholesterol; D007785:Lactose