High β-hydroxybutyrate concentration in liver and skeletal muscle of newly hatched chicks

Haruhiko Ohtsu, Kan Sato, Hiroshi Nishida, Yukio Akiba

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Characteristic changes in ketone body concentrations in blood, liver, and skeletal muscle were investigated in detail in newly hatched chicks. The concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate in the blood was maximal at hatch (0 day), markedly decreased to 3 days, then maintained at low levels, up to 14 days of age. The concentration of acetoacetate in blood, on the other hand, did not change after hatching but remained lower than that of β-hydroxybutyrate at all ages. In liver and muscles, the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate changed in a manner similar to that in the blood. The muscle to blood ratio of the β-hydroxybutyrate concentration on days -1 and 0 was significantly higher than those at 1 through 14 days post-hatch. These results show that newly hatched chicks have the same high ketone body concentrations in the skeletal muscle, blood and liver. It is, hence, suggested that uptake of β-hydroxybutyrate by muscles is substantial or that ketogenesis, if any, occurs in muscles immediately before and after hatching of chicks.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)625-629
Number of pages5
JournalComparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology
Volume134
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2003 Mar 1

Keywords

  • Acetoacetate
  • Ketone bodies
  • Liver
  • Newly hatched chick
  • Skeletal muscle
  • β-Hydroxybutyrate

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