fatty acid oxidation tagged posts

The livers of a normal mouse (left) and a mouse whose liver cells lack Cpt2 (right) after eating a high fat diet. Courtesy of Cell Press

Study in mice shows important role of liver in balancing fats and sugars. Sugar in the form of blood glucose provides essential energy for cells. When its usual dietary source – carbohydrates – is scarce, the liver can produce it with the aid of fat. But new research from Johns Hopkins now adds to evidence that other tissues can step in to make glucose when the liver’s ability is impaired, and that the breakdown of fats in the liver is essential to protect it from a lethal onslaught of fat...