Volume 86, Issue 1, July (2001), pp. 37-44 © The Author 2001

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In vivo measurement of lipogenesis in ruminants using [1-¹⁴C]acetate

H. M. R. Greathead¹*, J. M. Dawson¹, N. D. Scollan² and P. J. Buttery^1
1Division of Nutritional Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK
²Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB, UK

 (Received 27 July 2000–Revised 19 December 2000–Accepted 15 January 2001)

A method for the measurement of the rate of lipogenesis in ruminants using a continuous intravenous infusion of [1-¹⁴C]acetate and measuring the rate of [1-¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into adipose tissue lipid was evaluated. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples obtained by biopsy over the course of a 6 h continuous intravenous infusion of [1-¹⁴C]acetate into a wether and a steer maintained in a ‘metabolic steady state’ demonstrated that the incorporation of [1-¹⁴C]acetate into subcutaneous adipose tissue lipid was linear for the duration of the infusion period. Subsequent measures of rates of [1-¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into adipose tissue lipid were made on adipose tissue samples taken at a single time point during the infusion period. The technique was used to measure rates of lipogenesis in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of fourteen Hereford × Friesian steers that had been fed a pelleted diet of dried grass at a range of metabolizable energy (ME) intakes from 1·1 × ME requirement for maintenance to ad libitum for 11 weeks. Rates of lipogenesis increased linearly (P<0·001) with increasing ME intake. It was concluded that the method is an effective technique for measuring rates of lipogenesis in specific adipose tissue depots in vivo in ruminants.

Keywords:
Ruminant: Lipogenesis: Acetate: Metabolizable energy intake