Uptake of Ketone Bodies in Perfused Hindquarter and Kidney of Starved, Thyrotoxic, and Diabetic Rats

Abstract

To elucidate the peripheral disposal of ketone bodies in hyperketonemia accompanied with starvation, hyperthyroidism, or diabetes mellitus, the uptake of acetoacetic acid (AcAc) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) was investigated in the perfused hindquarter and kidney of starved, thyrotoxic, and diabetic rats. Thyrotoxicity was induced by daily subcutaneous injection of thyroxine (100 micrograms/kg/day) for 7 days, and diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) injection. Plasma concentration of AcAc and BOHB was significantly higher in starved, thyrotoxic, and diabetic rats than in controls. The hindquarter or kidney of rats was perfused with synthetic medium containing 0.2 or 1.5 mM AcAc or BOHB for 30 min at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/g muscle wt/min or 3.2-3.5 ml/kidney/min, respectively. In perfused hindquarter, the uptake of AcAc and BOHB was significantly reduced in starved and diabetic rats, but not in thyrotoxic rats. In perfused kidney, the uptake of AcAc and BOHB was not significantly different between the experimental and control rats. These results suggest that in starvation or diabetes mellitus, disposal of AcAc and BOHB was impaired in the hindquarter but not in the kidney, and that disposal of AcAc and BOHB by hindquarter and kidney was not impaired in thyrotoxic rats.