Metabolism of phyto1-W4C and phytanic acid-U-14C in the rat

The metabolism of uniformly-labeled 14Cphytol, W-phytenic acid, and W-phytanic acid was studied in the rat. Conversion of both phytol and phytenic acid to phytanic acid was demonstrated. Tracer doses of phytol-U-14C given orally were well absorbed (30-66y0), and approximately 30% of the absorbed dose was converted to 14CO~ in 18 hr. After intravenous injection, 20% appeared in W02 in 4 hr. Phytanic acid-U-'4C given intravenously was oxidized at a comparable rate (22-37% in 4 hr) and was as rapidly oxidized as palmitic acid-l-14C (21% in 4 hr). Metabolism of these substrates was also studied in rats previously maintained on a diet containing 5% phytol by weight, which causes accumulation of phytanic acid, phytenic acid, and, to a lesser extent, phytol in blood and tissues. Despite the large body pools of preformed, unlabeled substrate in these animals, the fraction of an administered dose of phytol-U-'4C or phytanic acid-U-'*C converted to 14C02 was not significantly diminished. These studies indicate that the rat has an appreciable capacity to degrade the highly branched carbon skeleton of phytol and its derivatives. Twenty-four hours after administration of phytol-U-W, the lipid radioactivity remaining in the body was widely distributed among the tissues, highest concentrations being found in liver and adipose tissue. Four hours after intravenous administration of phytanic acid-U-W, all of the major lipid classes in the liver contained radioactivity, most in triglycerides and phospholipids and least in cholesterol esters and lower glycerides. There was no demonstrable incorporation of mevalonate-2-14C or acetate-1-'4C into liver phytanic acid when they were given intravenously to a rat previously fed phytol. Endogenous biosynthesis, if it occurs at all, must be extremely limited.