Oxidation of Palmitate to Ketone Bodies by Tissues from Digestive Organs of Sheep

Summary

The in vitro metabolism of palmitic acid, an important long-chain fatty acid found in adipose tissue, was compared in tissues from the rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, cecum, and liver of nonpregnant, fasted sheep. Exogenous palmitate increased the oxygen uptake of epithelial tissue from the reticulum and omasum as well as from the rumen and liver. Palmitate did not increase the oxygen uptake of whole tissue from the abomasum, duodenum, or cecum.

Palmitate increased the formation of ketone bodies of omasal epithelium as well as of rumen epithelium and liver. Heretofore, the omasal epithelium has not been recognized as a site of ketone body formation from long-chain fatty acids and may now be included with rumen epithelium as a ketogenic extra-hepatic tissue.

© American Society of Animal Science 1968