The metabolism of fatty acids in hepatocytes isolated from triiodothyronine-treated rats.

1. The effect of triiodothyronine on the metabolism of palmitate, oleate and erucate in isolated rat hepatocytes was studied. 2. In triiodothyronine-treated rats increased oxidation and decreased triacylglycerol formation from palmitate and oleate was observed. For erucate triiodothyronine caused increased oxidation, but had no significant effect on esterification. 3. Glucagon had no effect on the fatty acid metabolism in hepatocytes from triiodothyronine-treated rats, whereas it stimulated the oxidation in hepatocytes from normal rats. Still, after treatment with triiodothyronine, the oxidation of fatty acids was significantly higher than in glucagon-stimulated normal hepatocytes. 4. In isolated rat liver mitochondria triiodothyronine raised the activity of the outer carnitine palmitoyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.21). The activity of the total carnitine palmitoyltransferase was elevated only slightly in isolated mitochondria from triiodothyronine-treated rats. These effects were similar to those seen in fasted rats. 5. Triiodothyronine had no significant influence on the concentration of long-chain acyl-CoA or alpha-glycerophosphate in isolated rat hepatocytes.