Fatty acid oxidation by ischemic myocardium.

Ischemia markedly depresses fatty acid oxidation and increases fatty acyl-CoA and fatty acylcarnitine levels in the isolated heart during palmitate oxidation. Evidence suggests that the major defect is impaired beta-oxidation due to decreased electron transport rather than to diminished fatty acyl uptake, activation, or intramitochondrial transfer. Important metabolic effects may include decreased mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocation and altered carnitine-palmity-l-CoA transferase activity.