Fat utilization by muscle

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Abstract
The direct breakdown of the fatty acids of rat serum by resting surviving muscle (rat diaphragm) was studied. Fatty acids in the serum decrease when diaphragm is incubated in glucose-free serum for 3 hrs. No such decrease is observed when the glucose content of the serum is normal (100 mg./100 ml.). In the presence of 40-50 mg. glucose in 100 ml. serum the decrease is definitely demonstrable; and it is marked in the presence of 25 mg./100 ml. As in the case of glucose, pyruvic acid and particularly acetoacetate completely inhibit fatty acid decrease; whereas inhibition by galactose, fructose and acetate is only partial. Certain metabolic poisons in the customary concns. completely inhibit the decrease of fatty acids. When diaphragm is incubated in serum of abnormally high fatty acid content and with varying contents of glucose, fatty acid decrease becomes more marked and is less dependent on the glucose content of the serum, so that even with normal glucose content a in fatty acids is demonstrable.