Abstract
Lipid synthesis from acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate was studied in chick embryo from 15 to 21 days and in chick neonate from 1 to 21 days. Embryonic spinal cord showed higher ability than brain to incorporate acetoacetate into total lipids, although a sharp decrease was found at hatching. 3-Hydroxybutyrate incorporation into total lipids was also higher in spinal cord than in brain, especially during the embryonic period. Phospholipids were the main lipids formed in both tissues from both precursors. An appreciable percentage of radioactivity was also recovered as free cholesterol, especially during the embryonic phase. The developmental patterns of amino acid synthesis from acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate were similar in both tissues: a clear increase after hatching was followed by a decrease at day 4 of neonatal life. Acetoacetate was a better substrate for amino acid synthesis than 3-hydroxybutyrate during the embryonic development in both tissues. Oxidation of both precursors to CO2 strongly decreased between 15 and 21 days of embryonic development both in brain and spinal cord.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hawkins, R. A., Williamson, D. H., and Krebs, H. A. 1971. Ketone body utilization by adult and suckling rat brain in vivo. Biochem. J. 122:13–18.
Page, M. A., Krebs, H. A., Williamson, D. H. 1971. Activities of enzymes of ketone-body utilization in brain and other tissues of suckling rats. Biochem. J. 121:49–53.
Edmond, J. 1974. Ketone bodies as precursors of sterols and fatty acids in the developing rat. J. Biol. Chem. 249:72–80.
Webber, R. J., and Edmond, J. 1979. The in vivo utilization of acetoacetate, D(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate, and glucose for lipid synthesis in brain in the 18-day-old rat. J. Biol. Chem. 254:3912–3920.
Bergstrom, J. D., Wong, G. A., Edwards, P. A., and Edmond, J. 1984. The regulation of acetoacetyl—CoA synthetase activity by modulators of cholesterol synthesis in vivo and the utilization of acetoacetate for cholesterogenesis. J. Biol. Chem. 259:14548–14553.
Yeh, Y.-Y., and Sheehan, P. H. 1985. Preferential utilization of ketone bodies in the brain and lung of newborn rats. Fedn. Proc. 44:2352–2358.
Patel, M. S., and Owen, O. E. 1976. Lipogenesis from ketone bodies in rat brain. Evidence for conversion of acetoacetate into acetyl-coenzyme A in the cytosol. Biochem. J. 156:603–607.
Yeh, Y.-Y., Streuli, V. L., and Zee, P. 1977. Ketone bodies serve as important precursors of brain lipids in the developing rat brain. Lipids 12:957–964.
Yeh, Y.-Y. 1980. Partition of ketone bodies into cholesterol and fatty acids in vivo in different brain regions of developing rats. Lipids 15:904–907.
Yeh, Y.-Y., Ginsburg, J. R., and Tso, T. B. 1983. Changes in lipogenic capacity and activities of ketolytic and lipogenic enzymes in brain regions of developing rats. J. Neurochem. 40:99–105.
DeVivo, D. C., Leckie, M. P., and Agrawal, H. C. 1975. D-β-Hydroxybutyrate: A major precursor of amino acids in developing rat brain. J. Neurochem. 25:161–170.
Sugden, P. H., and Newsholme, E. A. 1973. Activities of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, 3-oxo acid Coenzyme A-transferase and acetoacetyl-Coenzyme A-thiolase in nervous tissue from vertebrates and invertebrates. Biochem. J. 134:97–101.
Nehlig, A., Crone, M., and Lehr, P. R. 1980. Variations of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity in brain and liver mitochondria of the developing chick. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 633:22–32.
Nehlig, A., and Lehr, P. R. 1982. Activity of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase and regulation of ketone body metabolism in the brain of developing chick. Brain Res. 241:291–297.
Nehlig, A., and Lehr, P. R. 1982. Activities of 3-oxo acid-CoA transferase and acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase in brain and liver of the developing chick. Develop. Brain Res. 2:89–96.
Caamaño, G. J., Iglesias, J., Marco, C., and Linares, A. 1988. In vivo utilization of [3-14C]acetoacetate for lipid and amino acid synthesis in the 15-day-old chick. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 91B:1–5.
Caamaño, G. J., Linares, A., Sanchez-Del-Rio, M. A., Iglesias, J., and Garcia-Peregrin E. 1990. In vivo utilization of D(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate by chick brain and spinal cord. Neurochem. Res. 15:529–533.
Marco, C., Gonzalez-Pacanowska, D., Linares, A., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1983. Relationship between changes in free cholesterol and pyrophosphomevalonate decarboxylase activity during myelination. Neurochem. Res. 8:711–721.
Marco, C., Alejandre, M. J., Gonzalez-Pacanowska, D., Segovia, J. L., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1985. Evolution of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and microsomal membrane fluidity throughout chick embryo development. Int. J. Biochem. 17:271–274.
Alejandre, M. J., Ramirez, H., Suarez, M. D., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1981. Different developmental pattern of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in chick tissues according to their role in cholesterogenesis. Biol. Neonate 40:232–236.
Gonzalez-Pacanowska, D., Marco, C., Garcia-Martinez, J., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1984. Changes in chick liver and brain mevalonate kinase, mevalonate-5-phosphate kinase and mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate decarboxylase during development. Int. J. Biochem. 16:845–847.
Marco, C., Gonzalez-Pacanowksa, D., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1986. Embryonic development of mevalonate metabolism by sterol and nonsterol pathways in chick brain and liver. Int. J. Devl. Neuroscience 4:445–450.
Righetti, M., Wiley, M. H., Murril, P. A., and Siperstein, M. D. 1976. The in vitro metabolism of mevalonate by sterol and nonsterol pathways. J. Biol. Chem. 251:2716–2721.
Aquilera, J. A., Linares, A., Arce, V., and Garcia-Peregrin, E. 1982. The in vitro metabolism of mevalonate by sterol and nonsterol pathways in neonatal chick. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 71B:617–621.
Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G. H. 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 226:497–509.
Yeh, Y.-Y., Streuli, V. L., and Zee, P. 1977. Relative utilization of fatty acids for synthesis of ketone bodies and complex lipids in the liver of developing rats. Lipids 12:367–374.
Robinson, A. M., and Williamson, D. H. 1980. Physiological roles of ketone bodies as substrates and signals in mammalian tissues. Physiol. Rev. 60:143–187.
Wells, M. A., and Dittmer, J. C. 1967. A comprehensive study of postnatal changes in concentrations of lipids in developing rat brain. Biochemistry 6:3169–3175.
Cuzner, M. L., and Davison, A. N. 1968. Lipid composition of rat brain and subcellular fractions during development. Biochem. J. 106:29–34.
Patel, M. S., and Owen, O. E. 1977. Development and regulation of lipid synthesis from ketone bodies by rat brain. J. Neurochem. 28:109–114.
Noble, R. C., and Cocchi, M. 1990. Lipid metabolism and the neonatal chicken. Prog. Lipid Res. 29:107–140.
Nehlig, A., Lehr, P. R., and Gayet, J. 1978. Utilization of 3-hydroxybutyrate by chick cerebral hemispheres during postnatal maturation. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 61:59–64.
Middleton, B. 1973. The acetoacetyl-Coenzyme A thiolases of rat brain and their relative activities during postnatal development. Biochem. J. 132:731–737.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Linares, A., Caamaño, G.J., Diaz, R. et al. Utilization of ketone bodies by chick brain and spinal cord during embryonic and postnatal development. Neurochem Res 18, 1107–1112 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00966692
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00966692