Oxidation of [1,12-C-14]dodecanedioic acid by rat pancreatic islets

Several aliphatic dioic acids were recently reported to stimulate insulin r elease in isolated rat pancreatic islets incubated at close-to-physiologica l D-glucose concentrations. In order to gain insight into the mode of actio n of these acids in pancreatic islet B-cells, the oxidation of [1,12-C-14]d odecanedioic acid (5.0 mM) was now measured in rat islets. Expressed as pmo l of [1,12-C-14]dodecanedioic acid equivalent, the production of (CO2)-C-14 was close to 1.0 pmol/islet per 120 min, representing about 8% of that att ributable to the oxidation of D-[U-C-14]-glucose (8.3 mM). The dioic acid a nd the hexose failed to exert any significant reciprocal effect upon their respective oxidation rate. These findings support the view that the insulin otropic action of dodecanedioic acid, and presumably other aliphatic dioic acids, is causally linked to their capacity to act as nutrients in pancreat ic islet cells.