In vitro production of beta-hydroxybutyrate from 1,3-butanediol by bovine liver, rumen mucosa, and kidney.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
In vitro animal tissue experiment without human data
PubMed 2341642 · doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(90)78719-x
What was done
Researchers obtained liver, rumen papillae, and kidney cortex tissues at slaughter from nonlactating, nonpregnant Holstein cows. They measured in vitro production rates of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate using butyrate and various isomers (R, S, RS) of 1,3-butanediol as substrates at varying concentrations.
What was found
Production of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate from butyrate was greatest in liver and rumen tissues and much lower in kidney. Only liver produced appreciable amounts of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate from 1,3-butanediol isomers, with maximal rates at 5 mM substrate concentrations. Liver production of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate from R-1,3-butanediol was greater than from S-1,3-butanediol. Absolute metabolic rates and sample variance were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study establishes the liver as the primary site for 1,3-butanediol metabolism to ketone bodies in cattle, providing an anatomical mechanism for experimental ketosis models.
Limits
The study is limited to in vitro tissue preparations from nonpregnant, nonlactating cows, which may not reflect in vivo metabolism or high-producing lactating cows. The abstract does not report the number of animal donors, quantitative production rates, or variance measures.
Cited by
- supports 1,3-butanediol is metabolized in the liver to form beta-hydroxybutyrate.