Quantitative flux analysis in mammals

Bartman et al. provide a detailed review of techniques for measuring metabolic fluxes in intact mammals, how to analyse and interpret the results and how these techniques can be applied to investigate metabolism in vivo. Altered metabolic activity contributes to the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart failure, cancer, fibrosis and neurodegeneration. These diseases, and organismal metabolism more generally, are only partially recapitulated by cell culture models. Accordingly, it is important to measure metabolism in vivo. Over the past century, researchers studying glucose homeostasis have developed strategies for the measurement of tissue-specific and whole-body metabolic activity (pathway fluxes). The power of these strategies has been augmented by recent advances in metabolomics technologies. Here, we review techniques for measuring metabolic fluxes in intact mammals and discuss how to analyse and interpret the results. In tandem, we describe important findings from these techniques, and suggest promising avenues for their future application. Given the broad importance of metabolism to health and disease, more widespread application of these methods holds the potential to accelerate biomedical progress.

Automated summary

The article provides a detailed review of techniques for measuring metabolic fluxes in intact mammals and emphasizes the importance of measuring metabolism in vivo. Researchers studying glucose homeostasis have developed strategies that have been strengthened by recent advances in metabolomics technologies, with promising avenues for future application. The broader application of these methods has the potential to accelerate biomedical progress given the significant importance of metabolism to health and disease.