Effects of 4-Pentenoic Acid on Carbohydrate Metabolism in Pigeon Liver Homogenate

The addition of 4-pentenoic acid to liver homogenates results in a decrease in long chain fatty acids oxidation and in gluconeogenesis.Glycolysis is not affected, whereas lactate oxidation to CO2 is inhibited.There is an increased formation of alanine and decreased levels of glutamate and aspartate.The inhibition of gluconeogenesis is partially reversed by the addition of short chain fatty acids or of (-)-palmitylcarnitine and totally reversed by addition of JIethods Animals-White pigeons, 2 to 3 months old, obtained from the Palmetto Pigeon Farms of South Carolina, were fasted for 72 to 84 hours prior to death.Water was given ad lib&m during this period.The animals were decapitated and the liver was immediately excised and chilled in an ice-cold salt solution as described by Krebs, Dierks, and Gascoyne (13).The liver was homogenized in 6.5 vohimes of the same solution that had been previously gassed with an 02-COZ mixture (95 % : 5 so).Incubation of Homogenates-Incubations were carried out in 1212