Measurement of glucose and lipid metabolism in avian liver explants

1. A mechanical tissue chopper was used to obtain 35-75 mg explants from 21- to 28-day-old chick liver to determine assay conditions (substrates, buffers, time), regulators (metals and hormones) and points of endogenous regulation of de novo lipogenesis (ATPase, reductive potential and protein phosphorylation). High- and low-bicarbonate-based buffers (Earl's balance salts, EBSS and Hanks' balanced salts, HBSS; respectively) were used in conjunction with sources and types of bovine serum albumin (BSA), divalent cations (Mg2+ or Ca2+), substrate (glucose or acetate) and hormones (insulin and catecholamines). 2. Neither EBSS nor HBSS changed in vitro lipogenesis, CO2 or glucose production when 20 mM HEPES was added to these salts. 3. Neither the presence nor the source of BSA (Sigma or Armour) affected metabolism. In contrast, reducing the vessel reaction surface area (5.1 vs 10.5 cm2) decreased metabolic rates. 4. Acetate was more readily utilized than glucose as an in vitro fatty acid precursor. Use of glucose was complicated by production of glucose from endogenous precursors and by label recycling. Divalent cations (Mg2+ or Ca2+) had little affect upon lipogenesis. 5. Chicken insulin (50 ng/ml) did not affect lipogenesis; however, incorporation of acetate into fatty acids was decreased by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. A catecholamine-induced decrease in vitro lipogenesis indicates that major points of regulation are under control of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation steps.