Volume 25, Issue 10 p. 646-652
Article

Selective reduction of fatty acid oxidation in colonocytes: Correlation with ulcerative colitis

W. E. W. Roediger

W. E. W. Roediger

Cell Physiology Laboratory of the Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University of Adelaide, South Australia, S.A.5011 Australia

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S. Nance

S. Nance

Cell Physiology Laboratory of the Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University of Adelaide, South Australia, S.A.5011 Australia

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First published: 01 October 1990
Citations: 38
To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Abstract

Attempts were made to define which fatty acid (2∶0 to 18∶1) was optimally oxidized by isolated colonocytes (colonic epithelial cells) and to select inhibitors of fatty acid oxidation which would be analogous in their action to the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation observed in colonocytes involved with ulcerative colitis. Isolated colonic epithelial cells of Sprague-Dawley rats were used with 2-mercaptoacetate, dichloroacetate, 3-mercaptopropionate, 4-mercaptobutyrate, 4-sulfatebutyrate, 2-bromobutyrate, sulfite ions and nitrite ions. n-Butyrate (4∶0) was maximmaly oxidized to CO2 and ketone bodies (mean value 5.46 μmol/min/g dry wt). Oxidation of butyrate to CO2 was diminished by 2-bromobutyrate, sulfite ions and all mercapto fatty acids. Both fatty acid oxidation and glucose oxidation were significantly inhibited by 2-bromobutyrate, while mercapto fatty acids and sulfite inhibited fatty acid oxidation (p<0.01) without significantly changing glucose oxidation. Observation with 2-mercaptoacetate and sulfite correlate with early changes of fatty acid oxidation observed in cases of ulcerative colitis, and warrant further study with isolated colonocytes of man.