The effect of triacylglycerol-fatty acid positional distribution on postprandial metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 79; no. 2; pp. 141 - 147
• Main Authors: Summers, Lucinda K. M., Fielding, Barbara A., Ilic, Vera, Quinlan, Paul T., Frayn, Keith N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.02.1998
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Chylomicrons - chemistry; Chylomicrons - metabolism; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - analysis; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - metabolism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human and Clinical Nutrition; Humans; Lipids. Glycolipids; Lipoprotein lipase; Lipoprotein Lipase - metabolism; Male; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Middle Aged; Postprandial metabolism; Postprandial Period; Triacylglycerols; Triglycerides - administration & dosage; Triglycerides - analysis; Triglycerides - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Lipoprotein lipase; Adipose tissue; Postprandial metabolism; Triacylglycerols; Human; Triacylglycerol; Enzyme; Postprandial; Hydrolases; Lipids; Esterases; Metabolism; Fatty acids; Carboxylic ester hydrolases
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN19980025

We hypothesized that fatty acids at the sn−2 position of chylomicron triacylglycerol are preferentially released into the venous plasma (rather than being taken up and stored in the adipocytes) after hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase (EC 3.1.1.34) in adipose tissue. Arterio–venous differences across adipose tissue were studied in eight healthy subjects on two occasions for 6 h after ingestion of different structured triacylglycerols rich in palmitic acid either at the sn−2 or the sn−1,3 positions. In particular the specific fatty acids making up lipoprotein fractions and plasma non-esterified fatty acids were analysed. After the different meals there were no differences between either postprandial arterialized or venous plasma metabolite concentrations. Chylomicron triacylglycerol extraction in adipose tissue was the same following the two types of fat. There was no difference between the specific fatty acid composition of the postprandial non-esterified fatty acid release from adipose tissue after ingestion of the two triacylglycerols, indicating that there was no preferential release of a saturated fatty acid at the sn−2 position.