The urea cycle of rat white adipose tissue

Abstract

White adipose tissue (WAT) contains a powerful metabolic machinery related to energy metabolism and partition. The adaptive, regulatory, size and structural variety of WAT agrees with this control role. However, its nitrogen metabolism has been sparsely studied and we know close to nothing about its implication on N-related processes and homoeostasis. We have studied, and found a complete urea cycle (liver type) in four WAT sites (gene expressions and enzyme activities). We postulated a possible function of the cycle (under basal conditions) in the control of arginine handling through citrulline synthesis. In our opinion, the metabolic and control potential of WAT on energy metabolism may be second only to liver. This impression should be extended to amino acid metabolism too, WAT providing an extra-intestinal source of citrulline to maintain the body availability of arginine independently of the operation of intestine–liver urea cycle for N disposal.