Turnover of lipids labeled by I-123 phenylpentadecanoic acid (IP) compared to C-14 palmitic acid (P)

IP has been proposed for evaluation of cardiac lipid metabolism. To elucidate the metabolic fate of IP in more detail, the authors compared its uptake and turnover to that of P in lipids extracted from heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidneys of fasted anaesthetized Wistar rats after simultaneous i.v. tracer injection. The animals were sacrificed at different time intervals until 30 min. p.i. The organs were removed and lipids were extracted with chloroform/methanol. Fractional radioactivity distribution in lipids was analyzed by TLC. I-123 and C-14 radioactivity was assayed in free fatty acid (FFFA)-, phospholipid (PL)-, diglyceride (DG)-, and triglyceride (TG)-fraction in a -spectrometer and 20 weeks later in a liquid scintillation counter. Uptake and turnover patterns of IP-and P-labeled lipids were nearly identical. The authors conclude that IP and P label essentially the same lipids and exhibit very similar lipid turnover characteristics, indicating the feasibility of metabolic studies by means of IP as tracer for lipid metabolism.