Dynamic 13C NMR analysis of pyruvate and lactate oxidation in the in vivo canine myocardium: Evidence of reduced utilization with increased work

In this work, substrate selection was monitored in the left ventricle of the canine myocardium by following pyruvate and lactate oxidation under in vivo conditions at basal and elevated workloads. These studies were conducted in the open chest model using dynamic ¹³C NMR techniques in the presence and absence of dichloroacetic acid (DCA), a well-known activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). Following the infusion of (3-¹³C) pyruvate or (3-¹³C) lactate into the left anterior descending artery, highly variable ¹³C enrichments of glutamate, alanine, aspartate, and citrate were noted under low (RPP <14,500 mmHg/min), intermediate (RPP = 15,000–25,000 mmHg/min), and high (RPP > 25,500 mmHg/min) rate pressure products (RPP). At low workloads, the myocardium typically oxidized the infused (3-¹³C) pyruvate or (3-¹³C) lactate and incorporated the labeled carbon into the glutamate pool as expected. However, in a few notable instances (n = 3), ¹³C-enriched pyruvate and lactate were unable to label the glutamate pool under in vivo conditions even at the lowest RPPs, indicating a lack of selection for these substrates by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Nonetheless, the levels of glutamate C4 enrichment observed at low workloads could usually be enhanced by infusion of DCA. Importantly, ¹³C NMR extract analysis revealed that (3-¹³C) pyruvate or (3-¹³C) lactate labeling of the glutamate pool was reduced (<20%) at high workloads in spite of increased DCA concentrations.