A comparison of [9,10-3H]palmitic and [9,10-3H]myristic acids for the detection of defects of fatty acid oxidation in intact cultured fibroblasts.

The production of tritiated water from [9,10-3H]myristic acid can be used as a screening assay for the detection of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenation defects (glutaric aciduria type 2 and ethylmalonic-adipic aciduria types), and some types of hydroxydicarboxylic aciduria. Comparison with the release of tritiated water from [9,10-3H]palmitic acid may give an indication of the chain-length specificity of the metabolic defect. In a case of ethylmalonic-adipic aciduria such a prediction has been confirmed by examination of accumulated intermediates in the affected fibroblasts.