Effect of portacaval shunt on circulating free fatty acids and ketone bodies in rats

To ascertain whether portal diversion affects ketone body (KB) metabolism, fasting circulating levels of free fatty acids (FFA), acetoacetate (AcAc) and B-hydroxybutyrate (3-OH-B) were measured in portacaval shunted (PCS), sham-operated (S-O) and unoperated control (C) rats. In PCS animals blood KB concentration was clearly reduced when compared with S-O and C rats. Beta-hydroxybutyrate level was significantly lower in PCS rats, whereas AcAc concentration did not appear significantly modified in these animals. The hypothesis is proposed that hypoketonemia induced by portal diversion is due to reduced hepatic availability of fatty acids.