Comparison of glucose and acetate as substrates for lipid synthesis in bovine adipocytes.

The metabolic capacity of bovine adipocytes was studied using isolated cells from subcutaneous adipose tissue of four dairy cows before and after calving. The lipogenic capacity was assessed by measuring the incorporation of 14C-glucose and 14C-acetate into lipid. In the cells taken from the cows before calving, 14C-acetate was incorporated into lipid at a much higher rate than 14C-glucose but, after calving, incorporation of both substrates was very low. The results show that 14C-acetate uptake into lipid is a more sensitive indicator of the lipogenic capacity of adipocytes of dairy cows.