Studies in lipogenesis in vivo: Fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis during starvation and re-feeding.

1. Lipogenesis in vivo has been studied in mice given a 250mg. meal of [U-(14)C]glucose (2.5muc) or given an intraperitoneal injection of 25mug. of [U-(14)C]glucose (2.0muc). 2. The ability to convert a [U-(14)C]glucose meal into fatty acid was not significantly depressed by 6-7hr. of starvation. In contrast, incorporation of (14)C into fatty acid in the liver after the intraperitoneal dose of [(14)C]glucose was depressed by 80% and by more than 90% by 1 and 2hr. of starvation respectively. Carcass fatty acid synthesis from the [U-(14)C]glucose meal was not depressed by 12hr. of starvation, whereas from the tracer dose of [U-(14)C]glucose the depression in incorporation was 80% after 6hr. of starvation. 3. Re-feeding for 3 days, after 3 days' starvation, raised fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol synthesis in the liver fivefold and tenfold respectively above the levels in non-starved control mice. These increases were associated with an increased amount of both fatty acid and cholesterol in the liver. 4. After 18hr. of starvation incorporation of a [U-(14)C]glucose meal into carcass and liver glycogen were both increased threefold.