The metabolism of n-butyrate-C14 by mammalian heart muscle.

The anomalous increase in cardiac glycogen during ketosis and the induction of a similar change by the infusion of ketone bodies or butyrate (4) suggest that a pathway allowing for the net accumulation of carbohydrate from fat may exist in heart. In an effort to assess this possibility, the conversion of n-butyrate-3-Cl4 to acetoacetate, P-hydroxybutyrate, glycogen, lactate, pyruvate, and fumarate was studied in the isolated bloodperfused or sliced mammalian heart. Incidental observations on the conversion of butyrate to crotonate and vinyl acetate were also made.