Glycerol production and utilization measured using stable isotopes

The rate of appearance of glycerol in the systemic circulation is determined from the enrichment of arterial blood glycerol when labelled glycerol is infused intravenously. This value provides a good measure of whole-body lipolysis during fasting, except that arterial infusion and venous sampling, if feasible, would probably give a higher more-accurate value. Lipolysis occurs primarily in adipose tissue, although other tissues contribute, notably muscle. Measurement is based on the difference in the enrichment of the glycerol entering and leaving the tissue. Lipolysis is underestimated by the extent to which glycerol released by lipolysis does not enter the systemic circulation, as occurs when lipolysis takes place in the non-hepatic tissue of the splanchnic bed. Glycerol released into the systemic circulation is utilized mainly by liver, although kidney and muscle are also major users of glycerol. Measurement of glycerol utilization is based on the amount of labelled glycerol taken up by the tissues. Other tissues probably utilize glycerol to a smaller extent, but in total this represents a significant amount. Most glycerol taken up by liver is converted to glucose. Glucose is probably the major source of glycerol-3-phosphate used in the esterification of fatty acids by adipose tissue.