Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1972 Jun;51(6):1537–1546. doi: 10.1172/JCI106950

Glycerol turnover and oxidation in man

Walter M Bortz 1, Pavle Paul 1, Agnes C Haff 1, William L Holmes 1
PMCID: PMC292291  PMID: 5024045

Abstract

The oxidation and turnover of plasma glycerol has been studied in lean and obese, fed and starving man by means of a long-term infusion of glycerol-14C, and the participation of glycerol in gluconeogenesis has been determined.

Under none of the experimental conditions did glycerol contribute more than 10% of the total respiratory CO2. Glycerol turnover in fed lean subjects was 106 mmoles/min. Glycerol levels and turnover were higher in the obese subjects and with all subjects after starvation. There was a direct correlation between plasma levels and turnover values for which a regression equation was derived: y = 1556 x + 33.1, when y = turnover in micromoles per minute and x = glycerol level in micromoles per milliliter.

Whereas a direct relation was established between glycerol and FFA levels, the FFA/glycerol turnover ratio was 4.7:1 in the lean group indicating incomplete hydrolysis of adipose tissue triglycerides.

During starvation plasma glycerol is nearly or completely converted to glucose in the lean and obese groups, respectively. Of the new glucose formed from protein and glycerol 38% is derived from glycerol in the lean and 79% in the obese. Protein and glycerol have been shown to be adequate as precursors to supply at least as much glucose as is being oxidized per day.

Full text

PDF
1537

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARMSTRONG D. T., STEELE R., ALTSZULER N., DUNN A., BISHOP J. S., DE BODO R. C. Regulation of plasma free fatty acid turnover. Am J Physiol. 1961 Jul;201:9–15. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1961.201.1.9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BORCHGREVINK C. F., HAVEL R. J. TRANSPORT OF GLYCEROL IN HUMAN BLOOD. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1963 Aug-Sep;113:946–949. doi: 10.3181/00379727-113-28539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bergman E. N. Glycerol turnover in the nonpregnant and ketotic pregnant sheep. Am J Physiol. 1968 Oct;215(4):865–873. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.215.4.865. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergman E. N., Starr D. J., Reulein S. S., Jr Glycerol metabolism and gluconeogenesis in the normal and hypoglycemic ketonic sheep. Am J Physiol. 1968 Oct;215(4):874–880. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.215.4.874. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Björntorp P., Bergman H., Varnauskas E., Lindholm B. Lipid mobilization in relation to body composition in man. Metabolism. 1969 Oct;18(10):840–851. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(69)90059-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bortz W. M. Metabolic consequences of obesity. Ann Intern Med. 1969 Oct;71(4):833–843. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-71-4-833. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FREDRICKSON D. S., ONO K. An improved technique for assay of C14O2 in expired air using the liquid scintillation counter. J Lab Clin Med. 1958 Jan;51(1):147–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Havel R. J. Some influences of the sympathetic nervous system and insulin on mobilization of fat from adipose tissue: studies of the turnover rates of free fatty acids and glycerol. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Oct 8;131(1):91–101. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb34781.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. ISSEKUTZ B., Jr, MILLER H. I., PAUL P., RODAHL K. SOURCE OF FAT OXIDATION IN EXERCISING DOGS. Am J Physiol. 1964 Sep;207:583–589. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.207.3.583. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Issekutz B., Jr, Bortz W. M., Miller H. I., Paul P. Turnover rate of plasma FFA in humans and in dogs. Metabolism. 1967 Nov;16(11):1001–1009. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(67)90093-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KEKWICK A., PAWAN G. L., CHALMERS T. M. Resistance to ketosis in obese subjects. Lancet. 1959 Dec 26;2(7113):1157–1159. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(59)91737-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. NIKKILAE E. A., OJALA K. GLUCONEOGENESIS FROM GLYCEROL IN FASTING RATS. Life Sci. 1964 Mar;3:243–249. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(64)90066-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Paul P., Bortz W. M. Turnover and oxidation of plasma glucose in lean and obese humans. Metabolism. 1969 Jul;18(7):570–584. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(69)90091-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pelkonen R., Nikkilä E. A., Kekki M. Metabolism of glycerol in diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. 1967 Mar;3(1):1–8. doi: 10.1007/BF01269904. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SHAFRIR E., GORIN E. Release of glycerol in conditions of fat mobilization and deposition. Metabolism. 1963 Jul;12:580–587. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. TENG C. T., KARNOVSKY M. L., LANDAU B. R., HASTINGS A. B., NESBETT F. B. Metabolism of C14-labeled glycerol and pyruvate by liver in vitro. J Biol Chem. 1953 Jun;202(2):705–716. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. VAUGHAN M. The production and release of glycerol by adipose tissue incubated in vitro. J Biol Chem. 1962 Nov;237:3354–3358. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Winkler B., Rathgeb I., Steele R., Altszuler N. Conversion of glycerol to glucose in the normal dog. Am J Physiol. 1970 Aug;219(2):497–502. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.219.2.497. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Winkler B., Steele R., Altszuler N. Relationship of glycerol uptake to plasma glycerol concentration in the normal dog. Am J Physiol. 1969 Jan;216(1):191–196. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1969.216.1.191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Winkler B., Steele R., Bjerknes C., Rathgeb I., Altszuler N. Isolation of a pure glycerol-14C derivative for measurement of glycerol turnover. J Appl Physiol. 1967 Nov;23(5):752–756. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1967.23.5.752. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES