Determination of the concentration and specific activity of acetone in biological fluids

The concentration of acetone dissolved in liver perfusion medium was determined by injection of the sample into a gas chromatograph equipped with a Carbopack/Carbowax-packed glass column. Interference from labile acetoacetate which readily decomposes to acetone was eliminated by treating the samples with NaBH4 prior to the analysis. Acetone was detected and quantified as 2-propanol. Separation of labeled 2-propanol in the sample by high-performance liquid chromatography allowed the determination of its specific activity. These methods make possible the convenient and rapid determination of acetone concentration and specific activity in biological samples.