Enhancement of Wound Healing with Dietary Ketosis: in vivo and in vitro Experiments

Abstract

Chronic wounds create a substantial burden to patients and health care professionals, affecting 1.8 million new patients per year and costing $25 billion annually. The majority of chronic wounds occur in the elderly. Key features associated with age-related impairment of wound healing include limited energy and nutrient exchange, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and diminished blood flow. Ketone bodies, including β-Hydroxybutyrate (βHB), are naturally occurring energy substrates. We previously reported that oral ketone supplementation without dietary restriction enhanced wound closure and increased blood flow in young and aged Fisher rats. We hypothesized that improved wound closure was due to a ketone-induced favorable shift in metabolic parameters and a decrease in ROS production. Following a 28-day administration of oral ketone supplements in young rats, serum was analyzed by Metabolon using GC/MS. Ketone supplementation significantly increased TCA cycle intermediates, antioxidants carnosine an...