Glycolysis is predominant source of myocardial ATP production immediately after birth

Abstract

Glycolytic flux, as well as glucose, fatty acid, and lactate oxidation, was determined in isolated working hearts obtained from 1- and 7-day-old rabbits. One-day-old rabbit hearts were perfused via the inferior cava against a constant aortic and pulmonary arterial afterload, whereas hearts from 7-day-old rabbits were perfused via the left atria against a constant aortic afterload. Hearts were perfused with buffer containing 100 microU/ml insulin and either 1) 11 mM [U-14C/2-3H]glucose, 0.4 mM palmitate, 2 mM lactate; 2) 11 mM glucose, 0.4 mM [1-14C]palmitate, 2 mM lactate; or 3) 11 mM glucose, 0.4 mM palmitate, 2 mM [U-14C]lactate. Glycolytic rates (measured as 3H2O production) were high in 1-day-old hearts but decreased by 7 days (from 2,730 +/- 280 to 580 +/- 80 nmol.min-1.g dry wt-1). Rates of glucose oxidation (measured as 14CO2 production) were lower in both 1- and 7-day-old hearts (59 +/- 4.4 and 23 +/- 2 nmol.min-1.g dry wt-1). Palmitate oxidation rates were low in 1-day-old hearts but dramatically increased by 7 days (22.6 +/- 5.6 and 305 +/- 33 nmol oxidized.min-1.g dry wt-1, respectively). In contrast, lactate was readily oxidized by both 1- and 7-day-old hearts (169 +/- 14 and 456 +/- 52 nmol.min-1.g dry wt-1, respectively). In 1-day-old hearts, 44% of steady-state ATP production from exogenous sources were derived from glycolysis, whereas 18, 13, and 25% were derived from glucose, palmitate, and lactate oxidation, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)