The effects of clofibrate feeding on the metabolism of palmitate and erucate in isolated hepatocytes.

The metabolism of palmitate and erucate has been investigated in hepatocytes isolated from control rats and from rats fed 0.3% clofibrate. Clofibrate increased the oxidation of [1-14C]palmitate 1.5 to 2-fold while the esterification was decreased. At a high concentration of palmitate (1.5 mM), the total rate of fatty acid metabolism was stimulated. Clofibrate stimulated both the oxidation (3.5 to 5-fold) and the esterfication (1.7-fold) of [14-14C]erucate. Erucate undergoes chain-shortening in isolated liver cells. This chain-shortening was stimulated at least 2-fold by clofibrate feedings. The isolated mitochondrial fraction from clofibrate-fed rats showed an increased capacity for oxidation of short-chain acylcarnitines (including acetylcarnitine), while the oxidation of palmitoyl- and erucoylcarnitine showed little change. It is suggested that erucate is shortened by the recently detected beta-oxidation system of peroxisomes.