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Transplacental induction of fatty acid oxidation in newborn pigs by clofibrate
Author(s) -
Xi Lin,
Jacobi Sheila,
Odle Jack
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1091.8
Subject(s) - clofibrate , clofibric acid , transplacental , beta oxidation , carnitine , medicine , fatty acid , fetus , endocrinology , chemistry , gestation , umbilical vein , peroxisome , oleic acid , pregnancy , biochemistry , biology , placenta , genetics , in vitro , gene
This study examined the effect of maternal feeding of clofibrate on fatty acid oxidation in newborn pigs. Pregnant sows were fed a commercial diet with or without 0.8% clofibrate for 7 days. Blood samples were collected from the utero‐ovarian artery of the sows and the umbilical vein of the intact term fetuses as they were removed from the sows by c‐section on day 113 of gestation. HPLC analysis clearly identified clofibric acid was present in the plasma of the clofibrate fed sow and the fetuses. The maternal‐fed clofibric acid had no impact on the liver weight of the newborn pigs, but hepatic fatty acid oxidation examined in fresh homogenates showed that clofibrate significantly increased 14 C‐accumulation in CO 2 and ASP by 2.9‐fold from [1‐ 14 C]‐oleic acid and 1.6‐fold from [1‐ 14 C]‐lignoceric acid. Correspondingly, hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) and fatty acid oxidase (FAO) activities were increased also by 36% and 42% compared to the newborn pigs from the control sow. These data demonstrate that clofibrate crosses the placental membrane of the sow and enters fetal circulation to induce hepatic fatty acid oxidation by increasing CPT and FAO activities of the newborn. Supported by CSREES, USDA NRI program award 2007‐35206‐17897.