Abstract
At the time of weaning there is an eight-fold increase in palmitate oxidation to CO2 by rat intestinal mitochondria. Oxidation of acetyl-CoA also increases indicating that the tricarboxyylic acid (TCA) cycle may be rate-limiting during the suckling period. An increase in mitochondrial (mito) [NADH]/[NAD] inhibits isocitrate dehydrogenase, a control enzyme in the TCA cycle. In the suckling rat mito [NADH]/[NAD] is five-fold greater than postwean ratios. If the increase in mito [NADH]/[NAD] during the suckling period regulates TCA cycle activity, decreasing the mito [NADH]/[NAD] should increase TCA cycle activity and fatty acid oxidation. We have determined that high concentrations of potassium inhibit ketone oxidation which results in a decrease in mito [NADH/NAD] by altering the equilibrium of β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. The oxidation of palmitate and acetate by mitochondria of suckling rat small intestine is activated by the addition of high concentrations of potassium (100 mM) to the mitochondrial isolation mixture. These data suggest that the fatty acid oxidative mechanism is present during the suckling period and an increased mito [NADH]/[NAD] during this period decreases TCA cycle activity and fatty acid oxidation.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kimura, R. FATTY ACID OXIDATION BY DEVELOPING RAT INTESTINE IS CONTROLLED BY CHANGES IN MITOCHONDRIAL [NADH]/[NAD]. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 295 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01213
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01213