Transport and metabolism of butyrate by isolated rumen epithelium

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Abstract
A method for investigating the transport and metabolism of fatty acids by sheets of rumen epithelium in vitro is described. When butyrate is presented to the papillae side of the tissue, it appears rapidly on the muscle side mainly as ketone bodies. When applied to the muscle side, however, butyrate is metabolized to ketone bodies, which appear on the same side. Total ketone-body production is more rapid when the diaphragms of tissue are prepared from regions of the rumen where the papillae are large; a greater proportion of ketone bodies remains on the papillae side under these conditions. [beta]-Hydroxybutyrate is metabolized to acetoacetate at a much greater rate by the muscle side of the tissue than by the papillae side. In the absence of oxygen, ketone-body synthesis is abolished and the transport of butyrate carbon atoms is markedly diminished. The behaviour of the system is discussed.