Lipid metabolism in the obese Zucker rat: disposal of an oral [14C]triolein load and lipoprotein lipase activity

Oxidation in vitro of [14C]triolein to 14CO2 was significantly lower in obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats as compared with their lean (+ /?) controls. In response to a 24 h starvation period, both lean and obese rats showed an enhanced rate of [14C]triolein oxidation. There were, however, no changes in the rate of intestinal absorption of [14C]triolein between the lean and obese animals. Conversely, the total tissular [14C]lipid accumulation was significantly higher in white adipose tissue, carcass and plasma in the obese animals, whereas that of brown adipose tissue was lower. This was associated with a marked hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia in the fa/fa animals. Starvation dramatically decreased [14C]lipid accumulation in white adipose tissue of the lean Zucker rats, but had no effect in the obese rats. The lipogenic rate of the obese rats was significantly higher than that of lean rats in liver, white adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and carcass. Lipoprotein lipase activity (per g of tissue) was significantly lower in both white and brown adipose tissue of obese versus lean rats; however, total activity was higher in both tissues. Starvation significantly lowered perigenital-adipose-tissue lipoprotein lipase activity in the lean groups, and had no effect in the obese ones. These results demonstrate that the tissue capacity of exogenous lipid uptake is involved, but cannot be the only factor influencing the maintenance of obesity in these animals. Thus, in the adult fa/fa rat, the large increase in obesity is not solely dependent on a deviation of energy-producing substrate metabolism towards the storage of lipids in white fat. Other factors, such as a low, rate of oxidation, a high lipogenic rate and decreased brown-adipose-tissue activity are involved in the perseverance of the obesity syndrome.