De novo synthesis of alanine by the perfused rat hindlimb

Due to the disproportionately large production of alanine by muscle, it has been suggested that part of the alanine released by muscle is synthesized de novo by the transamination of glucose-derived pyruvate. This glucose-alanine conversion was quantitated in the isolated rat hindlimb perfused with a solution of bicarbonate buffer containing 2% albumin, 2.4% dextran, 2.5-15.9 mM glucose, 32-34% dog erythrocytes, and 0.05 muCi/ml [14C]glucose. Measurement of labeled alanine production allowed quantitation of de novo alanine synthesis. De novo derived alanine accounted for an average of 33% of the total alanine released by the perfused tissue (perfusate glucose concentration 8.3 mM), concurrently 2.7% of the glucose taken up by the limb was converted to alanine. By increasing the glucose concentration perfusing the muscle, both the rate of glucose uptake and de novo alanine release were increased. Addition of insulin to the perfusate (700 muU/ml) resulted in a significant increase in the rate of glucose uptake and de novo alanine production, but the rate of total alanine release was significantly decreased by the hormone. It was concluded that de novo alanine production accounts for a sizeable portion of the total alanine released by muscle, nevertheless a comparatively small fraction of the glucose carbons are actually transformed to alanine.