Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb 1;109(2):260-268.
doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy304.

Fasting hepatic de novo lipogenesis is not reliably assessed using circulating fatty acid markers

Fredrik Rosqvist  1   2 , Catriona A McNeil  1 , Camilla Pramfalk  1   3 , Sion A Parry  1 , Wee Suan Low  1 , Thomas Cornfield  1 , Barbara A Fielding  4 , Leanne Hodson  1   5
Affiliations

Fasting hepatic de novo lipogenesis is not reliably assessed using circulating fatty acid markers

Fredrik Rosqvist et al. Am J Clin Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Observational studies often infer hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) by measuring circulating fatty acid (FA) markers; however, it remains to be elucidated whether these markers accurately reflect hepatic DNL.

Objectives: We investigated associations between fasting hepatic DNL and proposed FA markers of DNL in subjects consuming their habitual diet.

Methods: Fasting hepatic DNL was assessed using 2H2O (deuterated water) in 149 nondiabetic men and women and measuring the synthesis of very low-density lipoprotein triglyceride (VLDL-TG) palmitate. FA markers of blood lipid fractions were determined by gas chromatography.

Results: Neither the lipogenic index (16:0/18:2n-6) nor the SCD index (16:1n-7/16:0) in VLDL-TG was associated with isotopically assessed DNL (r = 0.13, P = 0.1 and r = -0.08, P = 0.35, respectively). The relative abundances (mol%) of 14:0, 16:0, and 18:0 in VLDL-TG were weakly (r ≤ 0.35) associated with DNL, whereas the abundances of 16:1n-7, 18:1n-7, and 18:1n-9 were not associated. When the cohort was split by median DNL, only the abundances of 14:0 and 18:0 in VLDL-TG could discriminate between subjects having high (11.5%) and low (3.8%) fasting hepatic DNL. Based on a subgroup, FA markers in total plasma TG, plasma cholesteryl esters, plasma phospholipids, and red blood cell phospholipids were generally not associated with DNL.

Conclusions: The usefulness of circulating FAs as markers of hepatic DNL in healthy individuals consuming their habitual diet is limited due to their inability to discriminate clearly between individuals with low and high fasting hepatic DNL.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Distribution of liver fat in males and females. DNL, de novo lipogenesis.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Correlations (Spearman rho) between fatty acid markers in VLDL-TG and fasting hepatic DNL. n = 149 for all except 14:0 (n = 134) and 18:1n–7 (n = 67). DNL, de novo lipogenesis; Rho, rank correlation coefficient; SCD, stearoyl-CoA desaturase; VLDL-TG, very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Correlations (Spearman rho) between fatty acid markers in VLDL-TG and fasting hepatic DNL in subgroups split by median fasting hepatic DNL. “High DNL” denoted by filled triangle, “Low DNL” denoted by open circle. n = 74/75 for High/Low DNL except for 14:0 (n = 67/67) and 18:1n–7 (n = 29/38). DNL, de novo lipogenesis; Rho, rank correlation coefficient; SCD, stearoyl-CoA desaturase; VLDL-TG, very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Percentage newly synthesized palmitate in circulating VLDL-TG, total plasma TG, plasma CE, plasma PL, and RBC PL. n = 21 men for all fractions. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001 compared with VLDL-TG; analyzed using Wilcoxon-signed rank test. CE, cholesteryl esters; DNL, de novo lipogenesis; PL, phospholipids; RBC, red blood cells; TG, triglyceride; VLDL-TG, very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hellerstein MK, Schwarz JM, Neese RA. Regulation of hepatic de novo lipogenesis in humans. Annu Rev Nutr. 1996;16:523–57. - PubMed
    1. Wilke MS, French MA, Goh YK, Ryan EA, Jones PJ, Clandinin MT. Synthesis of specific fatty acids contributes to VLDL-triacylglycerol composition in humans with and without type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2009;52(8):1628–37. - PubMed
    1. Jacobs S, Jager S, Jansen E, Peter A, Stefan N, Boeing H, Schulze MB, Kroger J. Associations of erythrocyte fatty acids in the de novo lipogenesis pathway with proxies of liver fat accumulation in the EPIC-Potsdam Study. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0127368. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ma W, Wu JH, Wang Q, Lemaitre RN, Mukamal KJ, Djousse L, King IB, Song X, Biggs ML, Delaney JA et al. .. Prospective association of fatty acids in the de novo lipogenesis pathway with risk of type 2 diabetes: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(1):153–63. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wu JH, Lemaitre RN, Imamura F, King IB, Song X, Spiegelman D, Siscovick DS, Mozaffarian D. Fatty acids in the de novo lipogenesis pathway and risk of coronary heart disease: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(2):431–38. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types