Pantethine inhibits cholesterol and fatty acid syntheses and stimulates carbon dioxide formation in isolated rat hepatocytes.

The effects of pantethine on cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism were investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes. Preincubation of the cells with pantethine induced a concentration-dependent decrease of the radioactivity incorporated into carbon dioxide and lipids in incubations with [2-14C]acetate. When pantethine and the labeled substrate were simultaneously added to the cell suspension, there was an enhancement of carbon dioxide radioactivity at short incubation time (5 min) whereas, at longer incubation time, values were comparable to those of controls; lipid radioactivity, instead, was dramatically reduced by pantethine even at short incubation time and decreased further during the incubation, being 23% of that of controls at 60 min. Analysis of the incubation medium showed that pantethine induced a concentration- and time-dependent release of acetate into the medium. Results of the effect of the acetate concentration on the incorporation of [2-14C]acetate radioactivity into CO2 and lipids in control hepatocytes allowed the conclusion that the above-described modifications induced by pantethine are only partially attributable to the dilution of the labeled substrate, and that catabolism of acetate to carbon dioxide is stimulated by the disulphide pantethine, whereas cholesterol and fatty acid syntheses are inhibited.