Investigate short-chain (12 carbons or less) fatty acid metabolism: Monitor keto

Question

Investigate short-chain (12 carbons or less) fatty acid metabolism: Monitor ketone body formation in the blood

Results: Interestingly, when Jessie was fed a solution containing short-chain fatty acids and again fasted, plasma acetoacetate and -hydroxybutyrate concentrations increased.

16. What does this result tell you about Jessie?

Nothing

Something, but not clear what

One of the enzymes of the -oxidation pathway must be deficient.

There must be a problem with long-chain fatty acid transport, not with -oxidation.

There must be a problem with lipolysis of TAGs to produce FFAs.

Explanation / Answer

When human body is starved or not fed carbohydrates and given fatty acids or short chain fatty acids, liver swithches from carbohydrate utilization and fatty acid synthesis mode to fatty acid oxidation and ketone body production. By Producing these ketone bodies it supplies every to brain, heart, muscle tissue and kidneys.

Acetoacetate and 3-hydroxy butyrate with acetone are main ketone bodies produced. Acetoacetate (AcAc) and beta hydroxy butyrate (3BH) are short chain - 4carbon organic acids that can freely diffuse across cell membranes.

Under normal aerobic conditions glucose and fatty acids are metabolized to acetyle CoA by glycolysis and beta oxidation. But during fasting the intracellular glucose levels become too low which paves way for gluconeogenesis, where acetyle coA is diverted to form ketone bodies(ketogenesis).ketone bodies play a good role in reducing glucose utilization and reducing proteolysis. These are the main alternative energy reserves for brain cells when glucose levels are low during fasting. Acetyle coA carboxylase production is reduced and it favours lypolysis in adipocytes favouring ketogenesis. Another enzyme HMG coA produced by liver in starvation state to favour ketogenesis. Fatty acid biosynthesis is ceased and lipolysis takes place to favour ketone body production for energy supply to all organs during fasting or starvation

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