Lipogenesis from glucose-2-'"C and acetate-l-'"C in aorta

Lipogenesis was measured with gluc0se-2-'~C and acetate-lJ4C in the everted aortas of normal and atherosclerotic rabbits. More glucose-2-14C than acetate-l-14C was incorporated into lipids in both the normal and the atherosclerotic aorta. Radiocarbon from glucose-2J4C appeared mainly in triglycerides and phospholipids with a small amount in cholesteryl esters. Incorporation increased almost threefold with atherosclerosis, most of the radioactivity being in the glycerol moiety; radioactivity was predominantly in carbon 2 of glycerol. About 70% of the acetate-l-14C incorporated into phospholipids and triglycerides was in the fatty acids, and the remainder was in glyceride-glycerol; 98y0 of the radioactivity in cholesteryl esters was in the fatty acid moiety. Incorporation into cholesteryl esters was increased most during the development of atherosclerosis. Fatty acid synthesis was similar from both acetate-l-14C and the 2 carbon unit derived from gluc0se-2-'~C, viz., predominantly de novo synthesis of fatty acids with 14 and 16 carbon atoms, and elongation for those of 18 carbons and longer. SUPPLEMENTARY