Abstract
School of Medicine. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, Philadelphia. Fatty acids (FA) are important substrates for the myocardium and liver in adult mammals. Developmental changes have been demonstrated in FA oxidation in newborn rat and guinea pig liver. The purpose of this study was to determine if similar changes occur in guinea pig heart. In vitro rates of FA oxidation were determined using homogenates of heart from near term fetuses delivered by C-section, from newborn pups, and adult guinea pigs. Rates of 14 CO2 production from [1-14C] palmitate (.75mM) at 35°C over 30 minutes are expressed as uM/hr/gm tissue.
At 6 hours of age, 2 spontaneously born guinea pigs had FA oxidation rates of 1.79 and 1.09uM/hr/gm. These findings indicate that in the newborn guinea pig heart there is a 3 fold increase in the capacity to oxidize FA. This developmental change occurs post-natally. The sites of limitation and regulatory mechanisms are yet to be determined. These findings may have implications in the nutrition of premature infants.
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Hale, D., Stanley, C. & Baker, L. 248 DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN FATTY ACID OXIDATION IN NEWBOEN GUINEA PIG HEART. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 481 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00258
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00258
