Methyl-beta-cyclodextrin: an alternative carrier for intravenous infusion of palmitate during tracer studies in swine (Sus scrofa domestica)

Is palmitate truly proinflammatory? Experimental confounders and context-specificity

Based primarily on cell culture results, saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are proposed to promote inflammation and contribute to metabolic dysfunction through Toll-like receptor activation. Studies are often complicated by a requirement for carriers (e.g., BSA) or solvents (e.g., ethanol) to increase SFA solubility. To ascertain whether these factors influence interpretations of SFA-associated inflammation activity, we measured responses of RAW264.7 monocyte/macrophages and C₂C₁₂ myotubes to various BSA, ethanol, and cyclodextrin (alternative FA carrier) conditions. Fatty acid-free, low-endotoxin BSA preparations (0.33% to 2% wt/vol) activated whereas 0.5-1.0% ethanol inhibited RAW264.7 TNFα release. Ethanol modestly increased IL-6 secretion in C₂C₁₂ myotubes. Cyclodextrins (0.3-6.0 mM) were tested as alternative carriers of palmitate, but their usefulness was limited due to toxicity and solubility issues. Using a lower-inflammation BSA source and no ethanol, ∼24-h sodium palmitate treatment (≤600 µM) failed to trigger RAW264.7 TNFα release and, in fact, significantly dampened BSA-induced inflammation by >50%. In C₂C₁₂ myotubes, only high palmitate concentrations (500-600 µM) elicited IL-6 secretion (>2.5-fold increase). Acute palmitate (200 or 500 µM) treatment did not activate MAP kinase pathways above that of fresh BSA-containing media alone in either cell type. These results highlight the importance of experimental conditions in studies exploring SFA inflammation effects. The limited (or even anti-inflammatory) effects of palmitate that we observed indicate that immunomodulatory effects of SFAs are context-specific. Thus, caution is needed when interpreting the literature related to putative proinflammatory effects of SFA.

Triglycerides produced in the livers of fasting rabbits are predominantly stored as opposed to secreted into the plasma

OBJECTIVE

The liver plays a central role in regulating fat metabolism; however, it is not clear how the liver distributes the synthesized triglycerides (TGs) to storage and to the plasma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We have measured the relative distribution of TGs produced in the liver to storage and the plasma by means of U-(13)C(16)-palmitate infusion in anesthetized rabbits after an overnight fast.

RESULTS

The fractional synthesis rates of TGs stored in the liver and secreted into the plasma were not significantly different (stored vs. secreted: 31.9 ± 0.8 vs. 27.7 ± 2.6%∙h(-1), p > 0.05). However, the absolute synthesis rates of hepatic stored and secreted TGs were 543 ± 158 and 27 ± 7 nmol∙kg(-1)∙min(-1) respectively, indicating that in fasting rabbits the TGs produced in the liver were predominately stored (92 ± 3%) rather than secreted (8 ± 3%) into the plasma. This large difference was mainly due to the larger pool size of the hepatic TGs which was 21 ± 9-fold that of plasma TGs. Plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) contributed 47 ± 1% of the FA precursor for hepatic TG synthesis, and the remaining 53 ± 1% was derived from hepatic lipid breakdown and possibly plasma TGs depending on the activity of hepatic lipase. Plasma palmitate concentration significantly correlated with hepatic palmitoyl-CoA and TG synthesis.

CONCLUSION

In rabbits, after an overnight fast, the absolute synthesis rate of hepatic stored TGs was significantly higher than that of secreted due to the larger pool size of hepatic TGs. The net synthesis rate of TG was approximately half the absolute rate. Plasma FFA is a major determinant of hepatic TG synthesis, and therefore hepatic TG storage.

Methyl-β-cyclodextrin alters adipokine gene expression and glucose metabolism in swine adipose tissue

This study was designed to determine whether methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) can substitute for albumin in incubation medium for neonatal swine adipose tissue explants, or whether MCD affects metabolism and cytokine expression. Subcutaneous adipose tissue explants (100 ± 10 mg) were prepared from 21-day-old pigs. Explants were incubated in medium 199 supplemented with 25 mM HEPES, 1.0 nM insulin at 37°C. The medium also contained bovine serum albumin (BSA) or MCD at 0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% or 0.3%. Tissue explants were treated with these media for 1 h and then switched to the same basal incubation medium containing 0.05% BSA. Explants were removed from basal medium at 2 or 8 h of incubation, and real-time PCR was performed to assess expression of tumor necrosis α (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL6), acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACAC) and fatty acid synthase (FASN). Alternatively, rates of 14C-glucose oxidation and lipogenesis were monitored ± insulin (100 nM), following MCD treatment. Incubation with BSA had minimal effects on gene expression or adipose tissue metabolism, only producing a doubling in TNF mRNA abundance (P < 0.01). Treatment with MCD increased TNF mRNA abundance by eightfold (P < 0.009), whereas IL6 gene expression increased a 100-fold (P < 0.001) with a suppression in ACAC and FASN expression (P < 0.01). This was paralleled by MCD inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation and lipogenesis (P < 0.001). Addition of a TNF antibody to the incubation medium alleviated this inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism by ~30% (P < 0.05).

Fatty acids are rapidly delivered to and extracted from membranes by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin

We performed detailed biophysical studies of transfer of long-chain fatty acids (FAs) from methyl-beta-CD (MBCD) to model membranes (egg-PC vesicles) and cells and the extraction of FA from membranes by MBCD. We used i) fluorescein phosphatidylethanolamine to detect transfer of FA anions arriving in the outer membrane leaflet; ii) entrapped pH dyes to measure pH changes after FA diffusion (flip-flop) across the lipid bilayer; and iii) soluble fluorescent-labeled FA binding protein to measure the concentration of unbound FA in water. FA dissociated from MBCD, bound to the membrane, and underwent flip-flop within milliseconds. In the presence of vesicles, MBCD maintained the aqueous concentration of unbound FA at low levels comparable to those measured with albumin. In studies with cells, addition of oleic acid (OA) complexed with MBCD yielded rapid (seconds) dose-dependent OA transport into 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and HepG2 cells. MBCD extracted OA from cells and model membranes rapidly at concentrations exceeding those required for OA delivery but much lower than concentrations commonly used for extracting cholesterol. Compared with albumin, MBCD can transfer its entire FA load and is less likely to extract cell nutrients and to introduce impurities.

Splice variant-dependent regulation of beta-cell sodium-calcium exchange by acyl-coenzyme As

The sodium-calcium exchanger isoform 1 (NCX1) is intimately involved in the regulation of calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis in many tissues including excitation-secretion coupling in pancreatic beta-cells. Our group has previously found that intracellular long-chain acyl-coenzyme As (acyl CoAs) are potent regulators of the cardiac NCX1.1 splice variant. Despite this, little is known about the biophysical properties of beta-cell NCX1 splice variants and the effects of intracellular modulators on their important physiological function in health and disease. Here, we show that the forward-mode activity of beta-cell NCX1 splice variants is differentially modulated by acyl-CoAs and is dependent both upon the intrinsic biophysical properties of the particular NCX1 splice variant as well as the side chain length and degree of saturation of the acyl-CoA moiety. Notably, saturated long-chain acyl-CoAs increased both peak and total NCX1 activity, whereas polyunsaturated long-chain acyl-CoAs did not show this effect. Furthermore, we have identified the exon within the alternative splicing region that bestows sensitivity to acyl-CoAs. We conclude that the physiologically relevant forward-mode activity of NCX1 splice variants expressed in the pancreatic beta-cell are sensitive to acyl-CoAs of different saturation and alterations in intracellular acyl-CoA levels may ultimately lead to defects in Ca(2+)-mediated exocytosis and insulin secretion.

Betaine improves growth, but does not induce whole body or hepatic palmitate oxidation in swine (Sus scrofa domestica)

Dietary betaine may reduce carcass fat in growing pigs. We explored the effects of betaine on short-term growth and in vivo and in vitro fatty acid oxidation. Pigs were housed in metabolism crates and fed diets containing either 0% (control), 0.125% or 0.5% betaine at 80% of ad libitum energy intake. Fatty acid oxidation was measured during intravenous infusions of 1-(13)C-palmitate and in hepatocytes incubated in the presence or absence of betaine and carnitine. CO2 and palmitate isotopic enrichments were determined by mass spectrometry. Pigs consuming 0.125% and 0.5% betaine for at least 9 days had growth rates that were 38% and 12% greater than controls, respectively. Feed efficiency was also improved with betaine. Fasting increased palmitate oxidation rates 7-8-fold (P < 0.01), but betaine had no effect in either the fed or fasted state (P > 0.1). For hepatocytes, carnitine but not betaine enhanced palmitate oxidation. This response suggests that previously observed reduction in adipose accretion must be via a mechanism other than oxidation. Betaine had no effect on plasma non-esterified fatty acids or urea nitrogen. Under the confinement conditions in this study, dietary betaine improved animal growth responses, but it had no apparent effect on either whole body or hepatic fatty acid oxidation.