© 2002 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc. The Fate of [U-13C]Palmitate Extracted by Skeletal Muscle in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes and Control SubjectsFrom the Department of Human Biology, Nutrition Research Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
The current study investigated the fate of a [U-13C]palmitate tracer extracted by forearm muscle in type 2 diabetic and control subjects. We studied seven healthy lean male subjects and seven obese male subjects with type 2 diabetes using the forearm muscle balance technique with continuous intravenous infusion of the stable isotope tracer [U-13C]palmitate under baseline conditions and during intravenous infusion of the nonselective ß-agonist isoprenaline (ISO; 20 ng · kg-1 lean body mass · min-1). In skeletal muscle of control subjects, there was a significant release of 13C-labeled oxidation products in the form of 13CO2 (15% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate) and a significant release of 13C-labeled glutamine (release of 13C-labeled atoms from glutamine was 6% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate), whereas in type 2 diabetic subjects there was no detectable release of 13CO2 and 13C-glutamine, despite a significant uptake of [U-13C]palmitate (60% of control value). There was net uptake of arterial 13C-labeled glutamate by forearm muscle in both groups. Also, the ISO-induced increase in arterial glutamine enrichment and arterial concentration of 13C-glutamine was more pronounced in the diabetic group relative to control subjects. In view of the diminished ISO-induced release of 13C-glutamine from type 2 diabetic muscle, the latter data indicate that more [U-13C]palmitate entered the liver in the diabetic group and was incorporated into newly synthesized glutamine and glutamate molecules. Thus, the lack of release of 13C-labeled oxidation products by type 2 diabetic muscle during ß-adrenergic stimulation, despite significant [U-13C]palmitate uptake, indicates differences in the handling of fatty acids between type 2 diabetic subjects and healthy control subjects.
The 13C-labeled fatty acid tracers are used to quantify the oxidation of plasma fatty acids in several metabolic conditions. However, the recovery of 13C-labeled products in expired CO2 during infusion of 14C- or 13C-acetate is only 2030% after a 2-h infusion. Sidossis and colleagues (1,2), therefore, suggested that the label fixation observed during infusion of a fatty acid tracer occurs mainly via isotopic exchange reactions in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The recovery of labeled products during infusion of labeled acetate (acetate recovery factor) has been proposed to be a good correction factor for tracer estimations of fatty acid oxidation, as it accounts for label fixation that might occur at any step from the entrance of labeled acetyl-CoA into the TCA cycle until the recovery of the labeled product in expired breath CO2. The TCA cycle products in which labeled products from 13C-labeled tracer may accumulate are glutamine, released mainly by skeletal muscle and liver (3,4); glutamate, released by gut and liver; and glucose, formed in the liver by means of gluconeogenesis (4). It has been estimated that nonoxidative 13C loss during a 2-h [1,2-13C]acetate infusion to glutamate, glutamine, or glucose amounts to 10, 12, and 0.3%, respectively (5). So far no information is available on the exchange of 13C-labeled products across skeletal muscle during infusion of a 13C-labeled fatty acid tracer. In type 2 diabetic subjects, the uptake and/or oxidation of plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) has been shown to be impaired during postabsorptive conditions (6,7), ß-adrenergic stimulation (7), and exercise (8). It has also been shown that palmitate and acetate 13C-label recovery in expired breath are lower in type 2 diabetic subjects versus healthy control subjects (79). On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that the fate of 13C-labeled fatty acid tracer extracted by skeletal muscle may differ in type 2 diabetic subjects as compared with healthy volunteers. The aims of the present study were as follows: 1) establish the uptake and release of 13C-labeled substrate and oxidation products by skeletal muscle during [U-13C]palmitate infusion under baseline conditions and during infusion of the nonselective ß-agonist isoprenaline (ISO) and 2) compare 13C-label fixation in glutamate, glutamine, and glucose in control and type 2 diabetic subjects.
Subjects. We studied seven healthy lean male subjects and seven obese male subjects with type 2 diabetes (diabetes duration 2 years, range 0.58 years). Data on skeletal muscle fatty acid utilization in these subjects have been previously published (7). The diabetic subjects were treated with diet alone (n = 2) or diet in combination with oral blood glucose-lowering agents (low dosages of sulfonylureas, which were withheld for 2 days before the experiments; n = 5). Beside this, no other medications were used. None of the subjects had a serious health problem apart from diabetes. Normal resting electrocardiogram and blood pressure were prerequisites for participation. Subject characteristics are given in Table 1. All subjects engaged in sports 3 h per week, and none had a physically demanding job. The study protocol was approved by the Medical Ethical Review Committee of Maastricht University, and all subjects gave written informed consent.
Body weight was determined on an electronic scale, accurate to 0.1 kg. Waist and hip circumference measurements to the nearest 1 cm were made with the subject standing upright. Body composition was determined by hydrostatic weighing with simultaneous lung volume measurement (Volugraph 2000; Mijnhardt, Bunník, the Netherlands). Body composition was calculated according to Siris method (10).
Experimental design. Forearm skeletal muscle metabolism was studied under baseline conditions and during intravenous infusion of ISO by means of the forearm muscle balance technique with continuous intravenous infusion of the stable isotope tracer [U-13C]palmitate. Before the start of the experiment, three cannulas were inserted, as follows: one cannula was inserted under local anesthesia in the radial artery of the forearm for sampling of arterial blood; in the same arm, a second cannula was inserted in a forearm vein for the infusion of ISO and the stable isotope tracer; in the contralateral arm, a third catheter was inserted in the retrograde direction in an antecubital vein for the sampling of deep venous blood, draining from forearm muscle. Measurements were done during the last 30 min of a 90-min baseline period (090 min) and a subsequent 60-min period of intravenous infusion of ISO (90150 min) given at 20 ng · kg-1 lean body mass · min-1.
Isotope infusion.
Blood and breath sampling. After the 60, 75, and 90 min of the baseline period, and 30, 45, and 60 min of ISO infusion, forearm blood flow, arterial and venous concentrations, and 13C/12C ratios of glucose, palmitate, glutamine, glutamate, and CO2 were determined.
Blood flow.
Biochemical methods. All other blood samples were collected in tubes containing EDTA kept on ice. These samples were immediately centrifuged at 4°C, and the plasma was put in liquid nitrogen until storage at -80°C. Breath and blood samples were analyzed for their 13C/12C ratio and CO2 content by injecting 20 µl of the gaseous head space into a gas chromatography (GC) continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS; Finnigan MAT 252, Bremen, Germany). For the determination of plasma palmitate, FFAs were extracted from plasma, isolated by thin-layer chromatography, and derivatized to their methyl esters. Isotope enrichment of palmitate was determined by GC-IRMS after on-line combustion of the fatty acids to CO2. The methyl ester of palmitate contains 17 carbon atoms; therefore, the tracer/tracee ratio of palmitate was corrected for the extra methyl group. Palmitate concentrations were determined on an analytical GC with ion-flame detection using heptadecanoic acid as the internal standard. On average, it comprised 24.5 ± 0.6% of the total FFA concentration. Plasma glucose, glutamine, and glutamate concentrations (deproteinized with 3.5 wt/vol % sulphosalicyclic acid [SSA]) were measured using standard enzymatic techniques automated (Cobas Fara centrifugal analyzer) at 340 nm. Isotopic enrichment of plasma glutamine and glutamate was determined as the MTBSTFA derivative using GC combustion IRMS (MAT 252; Thermo Finnigan, Bremen, Germany). The resulting derivative contained 23 carbon atoms, 5 of which were from glutamine or glutamate; the 13C/12C ratio was therefore corrected by a factor of 23/5. To determine plasma glucose enrichment, glucose was extracted with chloroform-methanol-water, and derivatization occurred with butylboronic acid and acetic anhydride, as previously described (12). The resulting derivative contained 16 carbon atoms, 6 of which were from glucose; the 13C/12C ratio was therefore corrected by a factor of 16/6. The glucose derivatives were analyzed by GC combustion IRMS.
Calculations
where F is the infusion rate of palmitate in micromoles per minute, TTRCO2 - TTRbkg equals the increase in tracer/tracee (13C/12C) ratio in expired air during infusion (compared with background), and VCO2 is the expired CO2 in micromoles per minute. The number 16 in the denominator is to correct for the number of 13C atoms in palmitate.
Forearm muscle calculations.
Statistical analysis.
Palmitate recovery. The fractional recovery of [U-13C]palmitate tracer in expired 13CO2 was lower in type 2 diabetic subjects versus control subjects during both baseline conditions and ISO infusion (P < 0.001) (Fig. 1).
Arterial concentrations. Arterial palmitate concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups (Table 2), whereas plasma palmitate enrichment (13C/12C ratio) was higher in type 2 diabetic subjects (Fig. 2). Arterial glucose concentrations were higher in type 2 diabetic subjects and more decreased during ISO infusion in this group (P < 0.01). Arterial glucose enrichment (Fig. 2) and the concentration of 13C-glucose (defined as 13C/12C ratio glucose x glucose concentration x number of C-atoms in glucose) increased throughout the experiment (P < 0.001) and were not significantly different between groups. Glutamine concentration tended to be lower in the type 2 diabetic group (P = 0.10). Glutamine enrichment (Fig. 2) and the 13C-glutamine concentration (defined as 13C/12C ratio glutamine x glutamine concentration x number of C-atoms in glutamine) increased significantly throughout the experiment (P < 0.001); the ISO-induced increase in glutamine enrichment and 13C-glutamine was significantly more pronounced in type 2 diabetic subjects than in control subjects (P < 0.01). Glutamate and CO2 concentrations were not significantly different between groups during baseline conditions or ISO infusion, although glutamate concentrations tended to be higher in type 2 diabetic subjects (P = 0.12). In both groups, glutamate concentrations significantly decreased during ISO infusion (P < 0.001) (Table 2). Glutamateenrichment increased throughout the experiment and was not significantly different between groups (Fig. 2). The concentration of 13C-glutamate (defined as 13C/12C ratio glutamate x glutamate concentration x number of C-atoms in glutamate) tended to be higher in type 2 diabetic subjects than in control subjects (P = 0.08).
Skeletal muscle substrate fluxes. Forearm plasma blood flow tended to be lower in type 2 diabetic than in control subjects (P = 0.095) (Table 3). Net muscle palmitate uptake was not significantly different between groups during baseline or ISO-stimulated conditions. The uptake of 13C-palmitate did not change as a result of ISO stimulation and tended to be lower in type 2 diabetic than in control subjects (P = 0.06). Glucose uptake tended to be lower in type 2 diabetic versus control subjects (P = 0.08), whereas there were no significant differences in the uptake of 13C-glucose across muscle between the two groups. Glutamine release was comparable in both groups during baseline conditions and ISO infusion. There was a significant release of 13C-glutamine in control subjects during ISO infusion, whereas no release could be detected in type 2 diabetic subjects (interaction group x ISO; P < 0.05). Muscle CO2 release did not differ between groups during baseline conditions or ISO infusion, although values tended to be lower in type 2 diabetic subjects compared with control subjects (P = 0.07). There was significant muscle 13CO2 production during ISO stimulation in control subjects, whereas we could not detect significant 13CO2 release in type 2 diabetic subjects (interaction group x ISO; P < 0.05).
Figure 3 shows the 13C-labeled carbon balance across skeletal during ISO infusion. In both groups there was a significant uptake of 13C-palmitate (slightly lower in type 2 diabetic subjects; P = 0.06) and 13C-glutamate. In control subjects, there was significant 13CO2 release (15% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate) and a significant 13C-glutamine release (release of 13C-labeled atoms from glutamine was 6% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate; P < 0.05). In contrast, in type 2 diabetic subjects, there was no release of 13C-labeled oxidation products.
The present study investigated the fate of [U-13C]palmitate extracted by forearm muscle in type 2 diabetic and control subjects. In skeletal muscle of control subjects, there was a significant release of oxidation products from 13C-palmitate in the form of 13CO2 (15% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate) and 13C- glutamine (release of 13C atoms from glutamine was 6% of 13C uptake from labeled palmitate). In contrast, in type 2 diabetic subjects, there was no detectable release of 13CO2 and 13C-glutamine, despite a significant 13C label uptake from [U-13C]palmitate (60% of control value). These data indicate differences in FFA handling in skeletal muscle of control and type 2 diabetic subjects during infusion of the nonselective ß-agonist ISO.
Baseline conditions. During baseline conditions, there was no significant 13CO2 production by skeletal muscle in either group, indicating there was no oxidation of plasma palmitate. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that 13CO2 production could not be measured with the present infusion rate, as the recovery of 13CO2 from a palmitate tracer was low (7% recovery in expired CO2 after 90-min infusion) (Fig. 1) and increased linearly in time for periods of 1011 h. This point has been previously discussed (7).
Isoprenaline stimulation. Interestingly, the ISO-induced increase in arterial glutamine enrichment and arterial 13C-glutamine was more pronounced in the diabetic group. In view of the reduced 13C-glutamine production by skeletal muscle in type 2 diabetic subjects, these data indicate that tissues other than skeletal muscle were responsible for the more pronounced increase in glutamine enrichment during ISO infusion. As discussed above, the most likely candidate for this release of 13C-glutamine is the liver, because the liver can both take up and release glutamine (high glutaminase and glutamine synthetase activity) (13,14) and also plays a central role in fatty acid metabolism. The higher increase in arterial glutamine enrichment in type 2 diabetic subjects as compared with control subjects indicated that more [U-13C]palmitate entered the liver in the former group, where more 13C label accumulated in glutamine. Support for this idea also comes from the finding that the concentration of 13C-glutamate tends to be higher in arterial blood of type 2 diabetic subjects, a finding most likely explained by an increased incorporation of 13C label from palmitate into glutamate in the liver. An increased FFA supply to the liver may promote hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose output (15), decrease insulin binding to hepatocytes (16), and promote VLDL triglyceride production (17), all important factors in the etiology of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Thus the release of 13C-labeled oxidation products during [U-13C]palmitate infusion was lower in muscle of type 2 diabetic subjects than in control subjects. Mittendorfer et al. (18) reported that the 13C label recovery during [1,2-13C]acetate infusion was similar across muscle, across the splanchnic bed, and at the whole-body level in healthy subjects. In view of the differences in the exchange of 13C-substrates and products across muscle in type 2 diabetic subjects relative to control subjects, it would be worthwhile to study whether the above assumption also holds for type 2 diabetic subjects. In summary, in muscle of type 2 diabetic subjects, there was no detectable release of 13C label into oxidation products during ISO infusion, despite a significant uptake of 13C label from [U-13C]palmitate; in contrast, in control subjects, there was a significant release of 13CO2 and 13C-glutamine. We propose the following explanations for this finding: First, the lack of release of 13C-oxidation products may indicate that more palmitate was incorporated in the triglyceride stores in type 2 diabetic muscle. Because an increased intramuscular triglyceride content is strongly linked to insulin resistance in lean offspring of type 2 diabetic subjects (19), these data may indicate an important underlying biochemical mechanism in the development of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic muscle. Second, an increased forearm lipolysis in the diabetic subjects (7) may have flooded the muscle with FFAs, resulting in a higher dilution of the [U-13C]palmitate in an increased intramuscular FFA pool, making it more difficult to detect any significant 13C-oxidation products. Third, the data also suggest that in type 2 diabetic subjects, more of the palmitate tracer is taken up and oxidized by the liver during ISO infusion.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. E.E. Blaak, Dept. of Human Biology, Nutrition Research Centre, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail: e.blaak{at}hb.unimaas.nl. Received for publication 1 May 2001 and accepted in revised form 6 December 2001. CV, coefficient of variation; FFA, free fatty acid; GC, gas chromatography; IRMS, isotope ratio mass spectrometer; ISO, isoprenaline; TCA, tricarboxylic acid.
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