Stimulation of myocardial coenzyme A degradation by fatty acids

Coenzyme A (CoA) levels were increased in isolated hearts from 537 +/- 14 to 818 +/- 44 nmol/g dry wt by perfusion for 45 min under conditions known to stimulate CoA synthesis (5). Subsequently, perfusion of these hearts with buffer containing glucose (11 mM) and pyruvate (5 mM) for 3 min had no effect on CoA levels (789 +/- 42 nmol/g dry wt). However, perfusion with a buffer containing glucose (11 mM) and palmitate (1.2 mM) decreased CoA levels to 683 +/- 34 nmol/g dry wt within 3 min. This decrease in CoA appeared to occur in the cytosolic compartment with no change in mitochondrial CoA content and was associated with a rise in tissue content of long-chain acyl-CoA. An increased incorporation of fatty acids into triglycerides was associated with the rise in total acyl-CoA suggesting that long-chain acyl-CoA levels were elevated in the cytosolic compartment. Perfusion conditions which maximally increased acyl-CoA levels also maximally stimulated CoA degradation. These observations suggest that the cytosolic degradation of CoA is related to high levels of long-chain acyl-CoA in this compartment. Use of these perfusion conditions in future studies should help define the pathway of CoA degradation and determine the mechanisms which control cellular levels of CoA.