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Lactate-pyruvate interconversion in blood: implications for in vivo tracer studies
J A Romijn1, D L Chinkes, J M Schwarz
1Metabolism Unit, Shriners Burns Institute, Galveston, Texas.
The American Journal of Physiology
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Lactate and pyruvate rapidly interconvert in whole blood, a key factor for interpreting tracer studies. This rapid exchange in blood, not plasma, impacts kinetic analyses.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Lactate and pyruvate are critical metabolites in cellular energy production.
- Understanding their kinetics is vital for interpreting metabolic tracer studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the rate of lactate-pyruvate interconversion in whole blood and plasma.
- To assess the implications of this interconversion for in vivo tracer studies.
Main Methods:
- Addition of [1-13C]lactate or [1-13C]pyruvate tracers to whole blood and plasma.
- Compartmental modeling applied to measured tracer-to-tracee ratios over 45 minutes.
Main Results:
- Rapid equilibration (3-4 min) of lactate and pyruvate tracers in whole blood.
- No significant isotopic exchange observed in plasma.
- Lactate-pyruvate interconversion rates were severalfold higher than net lactate production.
Conclusions:
- A rapid, significant interconversion exists between lactate and pyruvate in whole blood.
- This rapid exchange must be accounted for when interpreting in vivo tracer studies of lactate metabolism.