The Randle cycle revisited: a new head for an old hat

L Hue, H Taegtmeyer - American Journal of Physiology …, 2009 - journals.physiology.org
American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2009journals.physiology.org
In 1963, Lancet published a paper by Randle et al. that proposed a “glucose-fatty acid cycle”
to describe fuel flux between and fuel selection by tissues. The original biochemical
mechanism explained the inhibition of glucose oxidation by fatty acids. Since then, the
principle has been confirmed by many investigators. At the same time, many new
mechanisms controlling the utilization of glucose and fatty acids have been discovered.
Here, we review the known short-and long-term mechanisms involved in the control of …
In 1963, Lancet published a paper by Randle et al. that proposed a “glucose-fatty acid cycle” to describe fuel flux between and fuel selection by tissues. The original biochemical mechanism explained the inhibition of glucose oxidation by fatty acids. Since then, the principle has been confirmed by many investigators. At the same time, many new mechanisms controlling the utilization of glucose and fatty acids have been discovered. Here, we review the known short- and long-term mechanisms involved in the control of glucose and fatty acid utilization at the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial level in mammalian muscle and liver under normal and pathophysiological conditions. They include allosteric control, reversible phosphorylation, and the expression of key enzymes. However, the complexity is formidable. We suggest that not all chapters of the Randle cycle have been written.
American Physiological Society