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Reference values of blood components related to fuel metabolism in children after an overnight fast
Insights
Fuel metabolism in children shows age-related changes in blood components like alanine and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These findings suggest lipolysis and ketogenesis are active early in life, impacting carbohydrate regulation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Biochemistry
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Fuel metabolism in children is critical for growth and development.
- Understanding how blood components involved in energy metabolism change with age and glucose levels is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between blood components (glucose, lactate, pyruvate, triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, NEFA's) and age, sex, and glucose levels in children.
- To determine the activity of lipolysis and ketogenesis in young children after an overnight fast.
Main Methods:
- Studied 72 control children (26 girls, 46 boys, aged 3-15 years) after a 14-hour overnight fast.
- Analyzed blood concentrations of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA's).
- Correlated substrate levels with age, sex, and fasting glucose levels.
Main Results:
- Glucose, lactate, pyruvate, triglycerides, and cholesterol were age-independent.
- Alanine positively correlated with age; beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and NEFA's negatively correlated with age.
- Lactate, pyruvate, alanine, and triglycerides positively correlated with glucose; beta-hydroxybutyrate and ketone bodies negatively correlated with glucose. Acetoacetate, NEFA's, and cholesterol were glucose-independent. No significant sex differences were observed except for triglycerides.
Conclusions:
- Lipolysis and ketogenesis are active in children after an overnight fast, even at a young age.
- These metabolic processes may be linked to less efficient gluconeogenesis and improving carbohydrate regulation with advancing age.
- Blood substrate concentrations related to fuel metabolism show distinct correlations with age and glucose levels in children.
Abstract:
The interrelation between blood components, involved in fuel metabolism, and age, sex and glucose was studied in 72 control children (26 girls and 46 boys, aged between 3 and 15 yr) after an overnight fast (14 h). Glucose, lactate, pyruvate, triglycerides and cholesterol are age-independent. Alanine is positively correlated, whereas beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and NEFA's are negatively correlated with age. With respect to blood sugar, acetoacetate, NEFA's and cholesterol are glucose-independent. Lactate, pyruvate, alanine and triglycerides are positively correlated with glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate--and total ketone bodies--are negatively correlated with glucose. Except for triglycerides, no differences in the concentrations of the above mentioned blood substrates are seen between boys and girls. These data demonstrate that after an overnight fast lipolysis and ketogenesis already are active in young children, probably related to inadequate gluconeogenesis and improvement of carbohydrate regulation with age.