Figure 1.

Route of dietary carbohydrates and fats to the liver and adipose tissue. Dietary carbohydrate enters the portal circulation from the intestine and enters the liver. Excess substrate not needed for metabolism is converted to fatty acid via DNL and incorporated into triglyceride. Triglycerides are exported from the liver as VLDL, where they are delivered to adipose tissue, where they are broken down into FFA by the enzyme LPL and stored. Dietary fat is packaged into chylomicrons in the intestine and delivered initially to muscle and adipose tissue. Any lipid remaining in the chylomicron remnants are routed to the liver, as are “spillover” FFA not taken up by adipocytes. CHO, carbohydrate; TG, triglyceride.