Effect of propionate on lipogenesis in adipose tissue.

The metabolism of propionate in adipose tissue and its effect on lipogenesis was investigated. Fasting induced changes in propionate metabolism of adipose tissue, drastically reducing higher fatty acid synthesis and increasing glyceride-glyerol formation from low concentrations of propionate (0.25 mM). Propionate also promoted lipogenesis from acetate-1-(14)C in tissues of fasted rats, while it inhibited lipogenesis and CO(2) formation from acetate in the fed animal. Treatment with actinomycin D or ethionine abolished both the increased glyceride-glycerol formation from propionate and the promoting effect on lipogenesis from acetate. Synthesis of long-chain fatty acids from propionate-1-(14)C was increased by actinomycin treatment. The change in propionate metabolism induced by fasting is, however, not entirely due to its conversion to glyceride-glycerol, since the latter was almost completely blocked by malonate while part of the promoting effect on fatty acid synthesis persisted.