title: Fat-to-glucose interconversion by hydrodynamic transfer of two glyoxylate cycle enzyme genes.
abstract: The glyoxylate cycle, which is well characterized in higher plants and some microorganisms but not in vertebrates, is able to bypass the citric acid cycle to achieve fat-to-carbohydrate interconversion. In this context, the hydrodynamic transfer of two glyoxylate cycle enzymes, such as isocytrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase (MS), could accomplish the shift of using fat for the synthesis of glucose. Therefore, 20 mice weighing 23.37 +/- 0.96 g were hydrodinamically gene transferred by administering into the tail vein a bolus with ICL and MS. After 36 hours, body weight, plasma glucose, respiratory quotient and energy expenditure were measured. The respiratory quotient was increased by gene transfer, which suggests that a higher carbohydrate/lipid ratio is oxidized in such animals. This application could help, if adequate protocols are designed, to induce fat utilization for glucose synthesis, which might be eventually useful to reduce body fat depots in situations of obesity and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. pcordero@alumni.unav.es
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campion
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Milagro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marzo
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002952:Citric Acid Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D007522:Isocitrate Lyase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008292:Malate Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008292:Malate Synthase; D007522:Isocitrate Lyase; D005947:Glucose