Measurement of fractional lipid synthesis using deuterated water (2H2O) and mass isotopomer analysis

Triglyceride synthesis in epididymal adipose tissue: contribution of glucose and non-glucose carbon sources

The obesity epidemic has generated interest in determining the contribution of various pathways to triglyceride synthesis, including an elucidation of the origin of triglyceride fatty acids and triglyceride glycerol. We hypothesized that a dietary intervention would demonstrate the importance of using glucose versus non-glucose carbon sources to synthesize triglycerides in white adipose tissue. C57BL/6J mice were fed either a low fat, high carbohydrate (HC) diet or a high fat, carbohydrate-free (CF) diet and maintained on 2H2O (to determine total triglyceride dynamics) or infused with [6,6-(2)H]glucose (to quantify the contribution of glucose to triglyceride glycerol). The 2H2O labeling data demonstrate that although de novo lipogenesis contributed approximately 80% versus approximately 5% to the pool of triglyceride palmitate in HC- versus CF-fed mice, the epididymal adipose tissue synthesized approximately 1.5-fold more triglyceride in CF- versus HC-fed mice, i.e. 37+/-5 versus 25+/-3 micromolxday(-1). The [6,6-(2)H]glucose labeling data demonstrate that approximately 69 and approximately 28% of triglyceride glycerol is synthesized from glucose in HC- versus CF-fed mice, respectively. Although these data are consistent with the notion that non-glucose carbon sources (e.g. glyceroneogenesis) can make substantial contributions to the synthesis of triglyceride glycerol (i.e. the absolute synthesis of triglyceride glycerol from non-glucose substrates increased from approximately 8 to approximately 26 micromolxday(-1) in HC- versus CF-fed mice), these observations suggest (i) the importance of nutritional status in affecting flux rates and (ii) the operation of a glycerol-glucose cycle.

Inhibition of fatty-acid synthase induces caspase-8-mediated tumor cell apoptosis by up-regulating DDIT4

Fatty-acid synthase (FAS) is up-regulated in a broad range of cancers, including those of the breast, prostate, and ovaries. In tumor cells, the inhibition of FAS elicits cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, so it is considered a potential drug target for oncology. Results from this study show that inhibition of FAS, by either knockdown with small interfering RNA or inhibition with the small molecule drug orlistat, leads to activation of the receptor-mediated apoptotic cascade (caspase-8-mediated) and ultimately to cell death. However, knockdown of two enzymes upstream of FAS, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-alpha and ATP-citrate lyase, fails to activate caspase-8 or to elicit apoptosis in tumor cells, even though palmitate synthesis was suppressed. Using differential gene analysis, we traced the unique apoptotic effect of FAS inhibition to up-regulation of DDIT4 (DNA damage-inducible transcript 4), a stress-response gene that negatively regulates the mTOR pathway. These findings indicate that suppression of palmitate synthesis is not sufficient for eliciting tumor cell death and suggest that the unique effect of inhibition of FAS results from negative regulation of the mTOR pathway via DDIT4.

Estimating glutathione synthesis with deuterated water: a model for peptide biosynthesis

Glutathione (GSH), an intracellular tripeptide that combats oxidative stress, must be continually replaced due to loss through conjugation and destruction. Previous methods, estimating the synthesis of GSH in vivo, used constant infusions of labeled amino acid precursors. We developed a new method based on incorporation of (2)H from orally supplied (2)H(2)O into stable C-H bonds on the tripeptide. The incorporation of (2)H(2)O into GSH was studied in rabbits over a 2-week period. The method estimated N, the maximum number of C-H bonds in GSH that equilibrate with (2)H(2)O as amino acids. GSH was analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry after derivatization to yield GSH-N-ethylmaleimide (GSNEM). A model, which simulated the expected abundance at each mass isotopomer for the GSNEM ion at various values for N, was used to find the best fit to the data. The plateau labeling fit best a model with N=6 of a possible 10 C-H bonds. Thus, the amino acid precursors do not completely equilibrate with (2)H(2)O prior to GSH synthesis. Advantages of this new method include replacing costly amino acid infusions with the oral administration of (2)H(2)O and a statistical basis for estimating N.

Determination of protein synthesis in vivo using labeling from deuterated water and analysis of MALDI-TOF spectrum

This paper describes a method of determining protein synthesis and turnover using in vivo labeling of protein with deuterated water and analysis of matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF) spectrum. Protein synthesis is calculated using mass isotopomer distribution analysis instead of precursor to product amino acid enrichment ratio. During protein synthesis, the incorporation of deuterium from water changes the mass isotopomer distribution (isotope envelop) according to the number of deuterium atoms (0, 1, 2, 3, etc.) incorporated, and the distribution of the protein with 0, 1, 2, 3,... atoms of deuterium follows a binomial distribution. A mathematical algorithm by which the distribution of deuterium isotopomers can be extracted from the observed MALDI-TOF spectrum is presented. Since deuterium isotopomers are unique to newly synthesized proteins, the quantitation of their distribution provides a method for the quantitation of newly synthesized proteins. The combined use of postsource decay sequence identification and mass isotopomer distribution analysis makes the use of in vivo labeling with deuterated water a precise method to determine specific protein synthesis.

Central carbon metabolism in the progression of mammary carcinoma

There is a growing belief that the metabolic program of breast tumor cells could be a therapeutic target. Yet, without detailed information on central carbon metabolism in breast tumors it is impossible to know which metabolic pathways to target, and how their inhibition might influence different stages of breast tumor progression. Here we perform the first comprehensive profiling of central metabolism in the MCF10 model of mammary carcinoma, where the steps of breast tumor progression (transformation, tumorigenicity and metastasis) can all be examined in the context of the same genetic background. The metabolism of [U-¹³C]-glucose by a series of progressively more aggressive MCF10 cell lines was tracked by 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. From this analysis the flux of carbon through distinct metabolic reactions was quantified by isotopomer modeling. The results indicate widespread changes to central metabolism upon cellular transformation including increased carbon flux through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), the TCA cycle, as well as increased synthesis of glutamate, glutathione and fatty acids (including elongation and desaturation). The de novo synthesis of glycine increased upon transformation as well as at each subsequent step of breast tumor cell progression. Interestingly, the major metabolic shift in metastatic cells is a large increase in the de novo synthesis of proline. This work provides the first comprehensive view of changes to central metabolism as a result of breast tumor progression.

Determination of protein replacement rates by deuterated water: validation of underlying assumptions

H(2)O administration has recently been proposed as a simple and convenient method to measure protein synthesis rates. (2)H(2)O administration results in deuterium labeling of free amino acids such as alanine, and incorporation into proteins of labeled alanine can then be used to measure protein synthesis rates. We examined first whether during (2)H(2)O administration plasma free alanine enrichment is a correct estimate of the enrichment in the tissue amino acid pools used for protein synthesis. We found that, after (2)H(2)O administration, deuterium labeling in plasma free alanine equilibrated rapidly with body water, and stable enrichment values were obtained within 20 min. Importantly, oral administration of (2)H(2)O induced no difference of labeling between portal and peripheral circulation except for the initial 10 min after a loading dose. The kinetics of free alanine labeling were comparable in various tissues (liver, skeletal muscle, heart) and in plasma with identical plateau values. We show next that increased glycolytic rate or absorption of unlabeled amino acids from ingested meals do not modify alanine labeling. Calculated synthesis rates of mixed proteins were much higher (20- to 70-fold) in plasma and liver than in muscle and heart. Last, comparable replacement rates of apoB100-VLDL were obtained in humans by using the kinetics of incorporation into apoB100 of infused labeled leucine or of alanine labeled by (2)H(2)O administration. All of these results support (2)H(2)O as a safe, reliable, useful, and convenient tracer for studies of protein synthesis, including proteins with slow turnover rate.

Lipin deficiency impairs diurnal metabolic fuel switching

Fatty liver is a common feature of both obesity and lipodystrophy, reflecting compromised adipose tissue function. The lipin-deficient fatty liver dystrophy (fld) mouse is an exception, as there is lipodystrophy without a fatty liver. Using a combination of indirect calorimetry and stable-isotope flux phenotyping, we determined that fld mice exhibit abnormal fuel utilization throughout the diurnal cycle, with increased glucose oxidation near the end of the fasting period and increased fatty acid oxidation during the feeding period. The mechanisms underlying these alterations include a twofold increase compared with wild-type mice in tissue glycogen storage during the fed state, a 40% reduction in hepatic glucose production in the fasted state, and a 27-fold increase in de novo fatty acid synthesis in liver during the fed state. Thus, the inability to store energy in adipose tissue in the fld mouse leads to a compensatory increase in glycogen storage for use during the fasting period and reliance upon hepatic fatty acid synthesis to provide fuel for peripheral tissues during the fed state. The increase in hepatic fatty acid synthesis and peripheral utilization provides a potential mechanism to ameliorate fatty liver in the fld that would otherwise occur as a consequence of adipose tissue dysfunction.

Characterizing phenotype with tracer based metabolomics

In the post-genomic era, a pressing challenge to biological scientists is to understand the organization of gene functions, the interaction between gene and nutrient environment, and the genesis of phenotypes. Metabolomics, the quantitation of low molecular weight compounds, has been used to provide a phenotypic description of a cell or tissue by a set of metabolites. Gene function is hypothesized from its correlation with the corresponding set of macromolecules by transcriptomics or proteomics. Another approach to genotype-phenotype correlation is by the reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic maps. The utilization of specific pathways as predicted by reaction network analysis provides the phenotypic characterization of a cell, which can be plotted on a phenotypic phase plane. Tracer based metabolomics is the experimental approach to reaction network analysis using stable isotope tracers. The redistribution of the isotope tracer among metabolic intermediates is used to identify a finite number of pathways, the utilization of which is characteristic of the phenotypic behavior of cells. In this paper, we review tracer based metabolomic methods for the construction of phenotypic phase plane plots, and discuss the functional implications of phenotypic phase plane analysis. Examples of phenotypic changes in response to differentiation, inhibition of signaling pathways and perturbation in nutrient environment are provided.

Hepatic de novo lipogenesis in stable low-birth-weight infants during exclusive breast milk feedings and during parenteral nutrition

BACKGROUND

Low-birth-weight (LBW) infants have high energy requirements and are dependent on high fat intake to maintain adequate postnatal growth. Fat energy is transported in plasma as triglycerides, which are either derived from the diet or from de novo lipogenesis (DNL). It is our hypothesis that DNL plays an important physiologic role in adapting to exclusive breast milk (EBM) feeding or to parenteral nutrition (PN).

METHODS

We studied hepatic de novo lipogenesis in 14 LBW (<34-week gestation) appropriate for gestational age and receiving either EBM feedings or full PN support. Stable isotope tracer [2-(13)C] acetate was administered for 72 hours to achieve an estimated 10% enrichment of daily fat intake. Fatty acids were extracted from plasma for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses.

RESULTS

Percent new synthesis of palmitate was 13.1% +/- 2.5% in the EBM group and 14.9% +/- 0.7% in the PN group (NS), stearate was 11.1% +/- 2.7% in the EBM group and 10.6% +/- 14% in the PN group (NS) and cholesterol was 12.7% +/- 2.1% in the EBM group and 17.4% +/- 4.6% in the PN group (NS) after 72 hours of tracer administration (mean +/- SEM). The plasma lipid fatty acid composition in palmitate, oleate, and stearate with intake of 3.6 +/- 0.6 g/kg/d of IV lipids (ILs) was similar to EBM-feeding infants taking 6.3 +/- 0.13 g/kg/d of fat.

CONCLUSIONS

De novo lipogenesis is active in stable LBW infants maintaining standard postnatal growth. Hepatic DNL permits newborn infants to meet the fat energy needs of peripheral tissues for growth and storage and to maintain plasma fatty acid composition in adaptation to different dietary fat intake.

Liver-specific deletion of negative regulator Pten results in fatty liver and insulin hypersensitivity [corrected]

In the liver, insulin controls both lipid and glucose metabolism through its cell surface receptor and intracellular mediators such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and serine-threonine kinase AKT. The insulin signaling pathway is further modulated by protein tyrosine phosphatase or lipid phosphatase. Here, we investigated the function of phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway, by targeted deletion of Pten in murine liver. Deletion of Pten in the liver resulted in increased fatty acid synthesis, accompanied by hepatomegaly and fatty liver phenotype. Interestingly, Pten liver-specific deletion causes enhanced liver insulin action with improved systemic glucose tolerance. Thus, deletion of Pten in the liver may provide a valuable model that permits the study of the metabolic actions of insulin signaling in the liver, and PTEN may be a promising target for therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes.

Liver-specific deletion of negative regulator Pten results in fatty liver and insulin hypersensitivity [corrected]

In the liver, insulin controls both lipid and glucose metabolism through its cell surface receptor and intracellular mediators such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and serine-threonine kinase AKT. The insulin signaling pathway is further modulated by protein tyrosine phosphatase or lipid phosphatase. Here, we investigated the function of phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway, by targeted deletion of Pten in murine liver. Deletion of Pten in the liver resulted in increased fatty acid synthesis, accompanied by hepatomegaly and fatty liver phenotype. Interestingly, Pten liver-specific deletion causes enhanced liver insulin action with improved systemic glucose tolerance. Thus, deletion of Pten in the liver may provide a valuable model that permits the study of the metabolic actions of insulin signaling in the liver, and PTEN may be a promising target for therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes.

Measurement of TG synthesis and turnover in vivo by 2H2O incorporation into the glycerol moiety and application of MIDA

A method is presented for measurement of triglyceride (TG) synthesis that can be applied to slow-turnover lipids. The glycerol moiety of TG is labeled from 2H2O, and mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) is applied. Mice and rats were given 4-8% 2H2O in drinking water; TG-glycerol was isolated from adipose and liver during < or =12-wk of 2H2O labeling. Mass isotopomer abundances in the glycerol moiety of TG were measured by GC-MS. The combinatorial pattern of isotopomers revealed the number of H atoms in glycerol incorporating label from 2H2O (n) to be 3.8-4.0 of a possible 5 for adipose tissue and 4.6-4.8 for liver TG. Hepatic TG-glycerol in fact reached 97% predicted maximal value of label incorporation (4.4-4.6 x body 2H2O enrichment), indicating near-complete replacement of the liver TG pool. Label incorporation into adipose tissue revealed turnover of mesenteric TG to be faster (k = 0.21 day-1) than other depots (k = 0.04-0.06 day-1) in mice. TG isolated from subcutaneous depots of growing adult rats plateaued at 85-90% of calculated maximal values at 12 wk (k = 0.05 day-1), excluding significant dilution by unlabeled alpha-glycerol phosphate. Turnover of plasma TG, modeled from 2H incorporation over 60 min, was 0.06 min-1 (half-life 11.5 min). In summary, use of 2H2O labeling with MIDA of TG-glycerol allows measurement of new alpha-glycerol phosphate-derived TG synthesis and turnover. The hypothesis that mesenteric TG is more lipolytically active than other depots, previously difficult to prove by isotope dilution techniques, was confirmed by this label incorporation approach.

Loss of regulation of lipogenesis in the Zucker diabetic (ZDF) rat

We present here a study on the role of leptin in the regulation of lipogenesis by examining the effect of dietary macronutrient composition on lipogenesis in the leptin receptor-defective Zucker diabetic fatty rat (ZDF) and its lean litter mate (ZL). Animals were pair fed two isocaloric diets differing in their fat-to-carbohydrate ratio providing 10 and 30% energy as fat. Lipogenesis was measured in the rats using deuterated water and isotopomer analysis. From the deuterium incorporation into plasma palmitate, stearate, and oleate, we determined de novo synthesis of palmitate and synthesis of stearate by chain elongation and of oleate by desaturation. Because the macronutrient composition and the caloric density were controlled, changes in de novo lipogenesis under these dietary conditions represent adaptation to changes in the fat-to-carbohydrate ratio of the diet. De novo lipogenesis was normally suppressed in response to the high-fat diet in the ZL rat to maintain a relatively constant amount of lipids transported. The ZDF rat had a higher rate of lipogenesis, which was not suppressed by the high-fat diet. The results suggest an important hormonal role of leptin in the feedback regulation of lipogenesis.

Contributions of de novo synthesis of fatty acids to total VLDL-triglyceride secretion during prolonged hyperglycemia/hyperinsulinemia in normal man

Triglycerides (TG) are synthesized in the liver principally from two sources of fatty acids (FA): FA synthesized de novo in the liver and preformed FA. We have measured the rate of secretion of de novo synthesized FA and total secretion of FA bound to VLDL-TG in healthy men (n = 5) in the basal state, and after 1 (day 1) and 4 d (day 4) of a hypercaloric carbohydrate diet (approximately 2.5 times energy expenditure) that generated a moderate endogenous hyperinsulinemia (plasma insulin approximately 60 microU/ml). Prolonged carbohydrate hyperalimentation/hyperinsulinemia increased plasma VLDL-TG approximately 10-fold in part due to a 3.4-fold increase in total VLDL-TG secretion rate (basal state = 72+/-23, day 4 = 242+/-78 micromol TG/kg/d). Although the secretion of de novo synthesized FA increased throughout the study (basal state = 1.1+/-0.4, day 1 = 15.9+/-7.9, day 4 = 50.0+/-18.8 micromol TG/ kg/d), the 2.7-fold increase in secretion rate of preformed FA (basal state = 70+/-23, day 4 = 191+/-57 micromol TG/kg/d) quantitatively contributed the most to total VLDL-TG secretion rate. Decreased catabolism of VLDL-TG also contributed to the hypertriglyceridemia as reflected by an approximately fourfold decrease in both fractional turnover rate (basal state = 9.2+/-3.8, day 1 = 2.1+/-0.2, day 4 = 2.1+/-0.3 pools/d) and rate of clearance (basal state = 0.35+/-0.08, day 1 = 0.11+/-0.01, day 4 = 0.09+/-0.01 liter/kg/d) of VLDL-TG. Thus, the primary difference between 1 and 4 d of hyperinsulinemia in conjunction with carbohydrate hyperalimentation is the increase in hepatic secretion of preformed FA into VLDL-TG.