Effects of Malate and Oxaloacetate in Canine Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue

Abstract The effect of malate and oxaloacetate infusions was studied in the isolated canine subcutaneous adipose tissue. It was found that oxaloacetate (4–7 mM) reduced the venous lactate/pyruvate ratio, whereas malate (6–12 mM) increased it. During and following sympathetic nerve stimulation approximately equimolar amounts of glycerol and free fatty acids (FFA) were released. When oxaloacetate was infused the amount of FFA released increased, whereas the glycerol release was essentially unchanged. Malate, on the other hand, reduced the FFA release in spite of an essentially unchanged glycerol release. Both anions caused an increased uptake of glucose. The changes in re‐esterification induced were similar to that produced by the lactate/ pyruvate couple. The results are taken as circumstantial support for the concept that the degree of re‐esterification can be altered with the intracellular red‐ox state.