Liver and Kidney Gluconeogenic and Lipogenic Enzyme Activities and Synthesis of Glucose by Kidney Cortex Slices in Rats Fed 1,3-Butanediol-containing Diets

Abstract

The activities of gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymes in both liver and kidney from rats fed diets containing 1,3-butanediol (BD) for 5 weeks were examined. Pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were increased in both liver and kidney of rats fed BD-containing diets. There were no differences in liver malic, hexose monophosphate shunt, and isocitric dehydrogenase activities of BD-fed rats. In kidney a slight decrease in isocitric dehydrogenase activity of rats fed BD was observed. Glucose synthesis by rat kidney cortex slices from pyruvate and malate was greatly increased in rats fed BD-containing diets. Octanoylcarnitine decreased glucose synthesis from pyruvate in control but not in rats fed BD. Both acetylcarnitine and octanoylcarnitine increased glucose synthesis from malate in both control and BD-fed rats. The importance of feeding BD as a calorie source in relationship to gluconeogenesis is discussed.