Acetate utilization and the turnover of citric acid-cycle components in pregnant sheep

Standing on giant shoulders: a personal recollection of the lives and achievements of eminent animal scientists 1965–2015

This article is a compilation of pieces that are part biographical sketches and part personal recollections of 18 scientists with whom the author was acquainted in three continents over almost 50 years. The subjects, from Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, will be recognisable to many in the field, especially more experienced scientists. For younger scientists, the article also is intended to put a human face on a generation of famous researchers who otherwise would be familiar only as somewhat anonymous authors of classic papers and reviews.

Octanoate and nonaoate oxidation increases 50-80% over the first two days of life in piglet triceps brachii and gracilis muscle strips

An in vitro muscle strip incubation system was developed to measure the rate of catabolism of 1 mmol/L [1-(14)C]octanoate, 1 mmol/L [1-(14)C]nonanoate, 1 mmol/L [9-(14)C]nonanoate, and 10 mmol/L [U-(14)C]glucose by measuring the recovery of (14)CO(2). Muscle strips (13 mm × 1.5 mm, ~50 mg) were isolated from triceps brachii and gracilis muscles of newborn and 2-d-old, small (<950 g) and large (>1450 g) piglets. The position of the (14)C label in the substrate affected the rate and amount of recovery in (14)CO(2). Therefore, comparisons were made between age groups (0 vs. 2 d old) within substrates but limited across substrates to comparisons of [1-(14)C]-labeled fatty acids. The medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) oxidation rates [pmol/(h · mg)] in muscle strips isolated from piglets from the 2 weight groups (<950 and >1450 g) did not differ (P > 0.99), there was a trend towards a difference between triceps brachii and gracilis muscle (P = 0.09; data not shown), and there were no significant interactions involving pig weight or muscle type; therefore, results were pooled across these factors. During the first 2 d of life, MCFA oxidation [pmol/(h • · mg muscle strip)] increased (P < 0.05) 50-80%, but the glucose oxidation rate did not change (P > 0.82). By d 2, the oxidation rate of nonanoate as represented by the one carbon was 25% greater than for octanoate (P < 0.05). The conversion of [9-(14)C]nonanoate to (14)CO(2) indicated that muscle had the capacity to oxidize the propionyl-CoA produced by β-oxidation of nonanoate and that odd-chain C-9 MCFA provided anabolic carbon to the citric acid cycle.

Interconversions and production of volatile fatty acids in the sheep rumen

1. Sheep fed at a constant rate were infused intraruminally with [1-(14)C]-acetate, -propionate or -butyrate during 5hr. periods. 2. Volatile fatty acids were estimated in the rumen contents and steady-state conditions were obtained. 3. Of the butyric acid carbon 60% was in equilibrium with 20% of the acetic acid carbon, and 2-3g.atoms of carbon were interconverted/day. 4. Little interconversion took place between propionic acid, acetic acid or butyric acid. 5. The net production rates for acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid were 3.7, 1.0 and 0.7moles/day respectively. 6. The production of volatile fatty acids accounted for 80% of the animal's energy expenditure.

Synthesis of [9-14C]nonanoic acid via 2-thienyl(14CH3)(cyano)cuprate and its oxidation by newborn piglet muscle strips

To determine if newborn piglet muscle could oxidize propionyl-CoA formed by catabolism of odd-chain fatty acids, an odd-chain fatty acid labeled in the terminal three carbons was needed. The synthetic scheme described is based upon the displacement of a primary alkyl iodide, ethyl 8-iodooctanoate, by a [14C]methyl group via an activated 2-thienyl(14CHa)(cyano)cuprate intermediate, forming ethyl [9-14C]nonanoate. Ethyl [9-14C]nonanoate was hydrolyzed in 6 N KOH and [9-14C]nonanoic acid recovered by ion-exchange chromatography. The yield of [9-14C]nonanoic acid was 40%, based on the initial amount of [14C]methyl iodide. The cuprate and other precursors were commercially available or readily synthesized from available precursors. Mass spectroscopy of commercial and synthesized nonradioactive nonanoate determined an m/z of 159 for the product molecular ion, as expected. The 14C-labeled product phenacyl ester was found to cochromatograph in a C-18 reverse-phase HPLC system with similarly derivatized commercially obtained nonanoic acid. The synthesis should be generally applicable to labeling of compounds by displacement of primary alkyl iodides, where other reactive groups (e.g., carboxylic acid), if present, can be protected (e.g., converted to an ester). Muscle strips isolated from the triceps muscle of newborn piglets oxidized [9-14C]nonanoic acid to 14CO2. Newborn piglet muscle can oxidize propionyl-CoA produced during odd-chain fatty acid oxidation.

The effects of acute cold exposure and feeding on volatile fatty acid metabolism in the hind leg of the young ox

1. Young steers were fed either 20 or 4 h before exposure to a thermoneutral or a moderately cold environment. Measurements were made of total oxygen consumption (total VO2), respiratory quotient (RQ) and hind-leg blood flow (leg Q) and oxygen uptake (leg VO2). The arteriovenous difference in plasma concentrations of individual volatile fatty acids (VFA) across the leg was also measured. Net exchange and fractional uptake of VFA by the leg were calculated from these results.

2. Cold exposure doubled total VO2, significantly decreased the RQ and caused 3-fold and 10-fold increases in leg Q and leg VO2 respectively in both 4 h- and 20 h-fed steers. Arterial plasma concentrations of total VFA (which was more than 95 % acetate) and net leg uptake of VFA also significantly increased in both groups. Cold had no effect on the fractional uptake of VFA by the leg.

3. Feeding shortly before the experiment caused a significant increase in total VO2 in thermoneutrality only, and in RQ, arterial plasma VFA and net VFA uptake by the leg in both environments. There was a significant decrease in the fractional uptake of VFA by the leg.

4. Calculations suggest that although circulating acetate could, in theory, supply over 60 % of the energy required by the hind leg in the resting, fed animal, less than 30 % of the increased requirement of the shivering leg could be supplied by acetate during acute cold exposure, even shortly after feeding.

The effects of different dietary contents of protein on amino acid and glucose production and on the contribution of amino acids to gluconeogensis in sheep

1. Free amino acid entry rates, rates of portal uptake of amino acids and rates of glucose synthesis from amino acids have been measured during the continuous intravenous infusion of [U-14C]-labelled mixed amino acids in six sheep receiving diets that supplied different amounts of protein.

2. In four of these sheep and in one other, total rates of glucose production have been measured using continuous intravenous infusions of [U-14C]-labelled glucose.

3. A signiiicant correlation was found between total amino acid entry rate ( Y mg/min.kg) and daily protein intake ( X g/kg):Y= 2·14+ 1·38X (r = 0·878, 0·02 > P > 0·01).

4. A significant correlation was found between the rate of absorption of amino acids into the portal system ( Y mg/min.kg) and the daily protein intake ( X g/kg):Y= 0·58 + 0·58X (r = 0·884, 0·02 > P > 0·01).

5. A highly significant correlation was found between total glucose production rates (Ymglmin. kg) and daily protein intake ( X g/kg): and daily protein intake ( X g/kg): Y = 2.14+ 1.38X (r = 0·878, 0·02 > P > 0·01).Y= 0·375f0·702X (r = 0·866, 0·005 > P > 0·001).

6. The mean proportional contribution to total amino acid entry made by portal absorption was 33·5 f 1·8 yo (six animals).

7. A significant correlation was found between the rate of glucose production from amino acids (Ymg/min.kg) and the rate of entry of amino acids ( X mg/min.kg):Y= 0-189X-0·414 ( r = 0·84, 0·01 > P > 0·005).

8. The best approximation of the proportion of glucose derived from amino acids was 28·16 f 5·1 % (six animals).

9. The specific radioactivities of amino acids in liver, kidney and muscle did not approach those found in plasma during infusions of [U-14C]-labelled mixed amino acids of up to 6·75 h.

Rates of entry and oxidation of acetate, glucose, D(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate, palmitate, oleate and stearate, and rates of production and oxidation of propionate and butyrate in fed and starved sheep

1. Rates of entry and oxidation of a range of metabolites have been measured in tracheostomized sheep (diet, 800g. of lucerne chaff and 100g. of maize/day) by combining isotope-dilution techniques with the continuous measurement of total respiratory gas exchange, and (14)CO(2) production during the intravenous or intraruminal infusion of (14)C-labelled substrates. 2. Mean entry rates in fed and starved (24hr.) sheep respectively, expressed as mg./min./kg. body wt.(0.75), were: glucose, 5.0 (range 4.8-5.1, 2 observations) and 3.8 (3.2-4.2, 4); acetate, 10.8 (9.1-13.5, 4) and 5.8 (1); d(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate, 1.4 (1) and 1.5 (0.8-2.4, 4); palmitate, oleate and stearate (starved sheep only) 1.0 (0.6-1.9, 7), 0.9 (0.2-1.6, 10) and 0.9 (0.5-1.1, 11) respectively. 3. Production rates of propionate and butyrate in continuously feeding sheep were 6.4 (4.7-8.3, 4) and 4.3 (3.4-6.1, 4) mg./min./kg.(0.75) respectively, and in starved (24hr.) sheep were 2.5 (2.2-2.9, 2) and 1.0 (0.8-1.2, 2) mg./min./kg.(0.75) respectively. 4. Calculated terminal values for the specific radioactivity of respiratory (14)CO(2) during measurements of entry rates and production rates were used to calculate the contributions of individual substrates to overall oxidative metabolism. Mean values for fed and starved sheep respectively were: glucose, 9.1 (8.6-9.6, 2) and 11.2 (5.9-15.1, 4)%; acetate, 31.6 (26.8-38.1, 4) and 22.1 (1)%; d(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate, 10.4 (1) and 4.8 (1.9-7.7, 4)%; propionate, 23.0 (13.8-29.9, 4) and 7.1 (6.8-7.4, 2)%; butyrate, 16.5 (13.7-20.5, 4) and 5.3 (5.2-5.3, 2)%; palmitate, oleate and stearate (starved sheep only), 4.7 (2.0-7.7, 7), 4.0 (1.2-6.6, 10) and 4.4 (3.8-5.8, 9)% respectively. The sum of these values for individual substrates in fed and starved sheep, excluding that of beta-hydroxybutyrate and after correction of the glucose value for the known interrelations of this substrate with propionate, accounted for 76% and 58% respectively of total production of carbon dioxide. 5. Calculations based on the proportion of substrate entry directly oxidized indicated that the substrates studied accounted for 63% (fed sheep) and 43% (starved sheep) of total energy expenditure measured by oxygen uptake. The contribution of beta-hydroxybutyrate was excluded, and corrections were made for glucose-propionate interrelations, and for the different rates of oxidation of the methyl and carboxyl fragments of acetate. 6. The present results have been combined with those obtained earlier in this Laboratory to examine the relationships between rates of substrate entry and oxidation, and concentrations of substrate in blood. Rates of entry of acetate, glucose, d(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate, palmitate and oleate (but not stearate) were well correlated with concentration in blood, and substrate contribution to production of carbon dioxide showed a similar correlation to blood concentration, except with glucose. 7. It was concluded that the general technique is of potential value in providing valid quantitative parameters of animal metabolism.

Studies on the interaction of metal ions with pyruvate kinase from Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells and from rabbit muscle

1. Pyruvate kinase (ATP-pyruvate phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) from Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells was purified approximately fivefold by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The enzyme was shown to have an absolute requirement for one univalent and for one bivalent metal ion. 2. The univalent metal ion requirements were satisfied by K(+), Rb(+) or NH(4) (+); Na(+) and Cs(+) were weak activators but Li(+) was inactive. 3. Ca(2+) exhibited ;non-competitive' and ;apparent competitive' effects in relation to the K(+) activation. 4. The bivalent metal ion requirements were satisfied by Mg(2+), Mn(2+) or Co(2+); Ba(2+), Sr(2+), Ca(2+), Ni(2+), Be(2+) and Cu(2+) were inactive. Mn(2+) and Co(2+) were better activators than Mg(2+). 5. The bivalent metal ion requirements of purified pyruvate kinase from rabbit muscle were satisfied by Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+) and to a smaller extent by Ni(2+). Mn(2+) and Co(2+) were better activators than Mg(2+). 6. Ca(2+) competitively inhibited the activation by Mg(2+), Mn(2+) and Co(2+) for both the tumour and rabbit enzymes. 7. It is concluded that there are no significant differences in metal ion specificity between the tumour and rabbit enzymes. 8. The possible role of metal ions in regulating enzymic and metabolic activities is considered further.

Utilization of free fatty acids by starved and pregnant sheep

1. The rate of entry into the plasma of stearic acid in fed and starved non-pregnant sheep and of palmitic acid in fed and starved pregnant sheep has been measured by a continuous-infusion isotope-dilution method. 2. In non-pregnant sheep the entry rate of stearic acid rose from 0.38mg./min./kg. when fed to 0.69mg./min./kg. after 72hr. starvation. In pregnant sheep, the entry rate of palmitic acid rose from 0.55mg./min./kg. when fed to 0.64mg./min./kg. on starvation. 3. The entry rates of palmitic acid and stearic acid are related to their respective plasma concentrations. 4. At a given plasma concentration the entry rate of palmitic acid in pregnant sheep was greater than that of stearic acid in non-pregnant sheep. 5. There was no detectable conversion of palmitate or stearate into other plasma long-chain fatty acids. There was negligible incorporation of fatty acids into other plasma lipids with the exception of the plasma triglycerides of fed pregnant sheep. 6. Up to 12% of expired carbon dioxide was derived from palmitic acid or stearic acid. The high rate of oxidation of plasma palmitic acid in fed pregnant sheep is noteworthy.