Figure 2

Metabolism of fructose in the liver. The majority of fructose in the portal vein is taken up by the liver to be converted into glucose, glycogen, and lactate. A small portion may be either oxidized within hepatocytes or converted into fatty acid, which will be either secreted as very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride (VLDL-TG) particles or stored as intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL). Only a minor portion escapes liver uptake and reaches the systemic circulation; blood fructose concentrations therefore remain very low even after ingestion of a large fructose load.