Metabolites have emerged as important signalling molecules, and their biological effects are frequently investigated by treating animals and cells with solutions of commercially available metabolite salts. Such experiments require proper controls for osmolarity and the presence of counterions, as illustrated by dramatic confounding effects on energy balance in studies with sodium l-lactate.
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References
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This is a summary of: Lund, J. et al. The anorectic and thermogenic effects of pharmacological lactate in male mice are confounded by treatment osmolarity and co-administered counterions. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00780-4 (2023).
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Overlooked confounding in studies of metabolite salts. Nat Metab 5, 542–543 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00787-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00787-x
