The involvement of liver fructokinase in the metabolism of D-xylulose and xylitol in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Hepatocytes isolated from fed, male, Sprague-Dawley rats accumulate xylulose-1-phosphate and glycolaldehyde as well as xylulose-5-phosphate when incubated with 2-20 mM D-xylulose. Fructokinase inhibitors (fructose and 1-deoxyfructose) decreased xylulose-1-phosphate and glycolaldehyde (but not xylulose-5-phosphate) levels in xylulose-treated hepatocytes, demonstrating the role of fructokinase in xylulose-1-phosphate and glycolaldehyde formation. As the fructokinase inhibitors had no overall effects on the conversion of D-xylulose to glucose, the overall flux through the pathway involving fructokinase was less than 27% of the total D-xylulose utilized. In hepatocytes from fed or fasted rats there was no detectable accumulation of either xylulose-1-phosphate or glycolaldehyde after treatment with 20 mM xylitol. Other differences between xylitol and D-xylulose metabolism in rat hepatocytes included a slower rate of xylitol metabolism in all preparations and a difference in the relative conversion of xylitol to glucose in hepatocytes from fasted rats. Rats adapted to 20% xylitol (diarrhea-free) had a lower water consumption than those fed a control cornstarch diet; there were no differences in weight gain, food consumption or in rates or metabolite patterns of xylitol metabolism in hepatocytes isolated from these rats. Despite the minor role of fructokinase in the overall metabolism of xylitol and of D-xylulose as shown by these results, it is not possible to exclude the possibility of some flux through the pathway involving xylulose-1-phosphate and glycolaldehyde formation as a possible route for oxalate formation.