Deconvolution as a novel approach to analyze moment-to-moment free fatty acid release.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies have shown that free fatty acid (FFA) release is pulsatile and that this pattern is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. It is, then, necessary to understand and characterize adipose tissue lipolysis to elucidate its effect on metabolism. In this study, we introduce deconvolution as a method to detect and quantify pulsatile FFA release.


METHODS
Octanoate, a medium-chain fatty acid, was infused in male mongrel dogs (n = 7) to mimic the pulsatile appearance of plasma FFAs. Deconvolution analysis was used to reconstruct the number and timing of infused octanoate pulses from plasma FFA concentrations.


RESULTS
Deconvolution analysis was able to reconstruct the exogenously infused pulses of octanoate used to mimic pulsatile appearance of FFAs (pulse frequency, 8 per hour; interpulse interval, 7 minutes). However, determination of pulse mass was less accurate (1.0 +/- 0.0 vs. 0.54 +/- 0.1 mM). The addition of varying levels of Gaussian noise to non-oscillatory FFA time series did not lead to detection of extraneous FFA pulses. However, goodness of fit declined with increasing variability.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the use of deconvolution as an accurate approach to determine the temporal sequence of endogenous FFA release.
Hücking
Katrin
K
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1333 San Pablo Street, Mudd Memorial Research 626, Los Angeles CA 90033, USA.
Hsu
Isabel R
IR
Ionut
Viorica
V
Bergman
Richard N
RN
D000818:Animals; D002210:Caprylates / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male
D002210:Caprylates; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; C031492:octanoic acid