[Influence of Silybin-dihemisuccinate on fatty acid synthesis in rat liver (author's transl)]

1. The influence of silybin-dihemisuccinate, a derivative of the flavonolignane silybin from silybum marianum L. Gaertn., on fatty acid biosynthesis of rat liver was studied measuring the radioactivity incorporation of [1-14C]-acetate and 3H2O in fatty acids of the postmitochondrial supernatant of liver homogenates and in fatty acids of liver slices as well as the activities of enzymes involved in do novo synthesis of fatty acids. 2. In the postmitochondrial supernatant of liver homogenates or in liver slices, prepared 30 or 60 min after i.v. injection of 150.6 mg/kg silybin-dihemisuccinate, radioactivity incorporation of 14C-acetate or 3H2O in fatty acids was lowered by about 25%. Adding silybin-dihemisuccinate to incubation mixture in vitro in the concentration of 0.45--0.6 mmol/l silybin the radioactivity incorporation was linearly diminished with increased concentration of silybin. 3. After in vitro addition of varying concentrations of silybin to incubation mixtures in the presence of 0.1 mmol/l silybin activities of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase, fatty-acid-synthetase and ATP-citrate-lyase were diminished by about 50%, while activity of NADP-malate-dehydrogenase was lowered by 20% in the presence of 1 mmol/l silybin. 4. Our results suggest that silybin caused an unspecific and, under in vivo conditions, transitory inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in rat liver.