Sean - Ketone Bodies Flashcards
List the phases of metabolism during fasting as time progresses
Gastrointestinal (0-1)
Glycogenolysis (1-2)
Gluconeogenesis (2-7)
Ketosis (7+)
List in order the preferred energy sources as fasting progresses
Glucose
Glycogen
Fatty acids -> produce ketones
Proteins/amino acids
When are ketones produced
Ketone bodies are produced from fatty acids when liver glycogen is depleted
What type of fuel is preffered by the heart
Long chain fatty acids
How do fatty acids circulate in blood
Bound to albumin
What are fatty acids broken down into
Oxidised to CO2 and H2O
The use of fatty acids by the liver provides energy for what two processes?
Gluconeogenesis
Ureagenesis
Why is synthesis of ketones important?
Ketone synthesis further reduces the need for glucose utilisation (brain needs this)
Name three ketone bodies
(DRAW THESE)
Acetone
Acetoacetate
D-B-hydroxybutyrate
What happens to the ketone acetone?
Its exhaled from the body
What happens to the ketone acetoacetate?
Energy source for tissues such as skeletal and heart muscle and the renal cortex
What happens to D-B-Hydroxybutyrate?
Energy source for skeletal muscle, heart muscle, renal cortex
AND
Used as fuel by brain under starvation conditions (last resort)
How much of your daily energy intake is used by the brain?
20%
Can the brain use fatty acids as a fuel source?
NO
Only glucose or B-hydroxybutyrate ketone
Describe how much of energy for the brain is produced by ketone bodies after 3 days and 40 days
After 3 days of fasting = 25% of energy is from ketone
After 40 days of fasting = 70% is from ketones
What is ketosis
The overproduction of ketone bodies
What two things can cause ketosis
Diabetes mellitus
Low carb diets
How does diabetes cause ketosis
This is because the hepatocytes cannot take up glucose as a fuel
Acetyl-CoA accumulates in the hepatocytes and are converted into ketone bodies
Concentrations of ketones acetoacetate and D-B-hydroxybutyrate lower blood pH (acidosis)
What can acidosis lead to?
Coma
Death
Comment on the ketone levels in untreated diabetics
Can be 60x the normal concentrations
List some side effects of ketosis
Diarrhea
Constipation
Headaches
Thirst
Dizziness
Nausea
Lack of energy
How does the body deal with ketosis
(3)
Body tries to remove ketones via urine
Causes further removal of eater and electrolytes
Results in potentially fatal dehydration, tachycardia, hypotension
What is ketogenesis
The formation of ketone bodies in the liver mitchondria
What are ketones formed from?
Formed from acetyl CoA produced by B oxidation of fatty acids
When can fatty acids be metabolised in the liver
When the TCA cycle is not functioning
i.e. when components of TCA have been cannibalised to generate amino acids/nucleotides (starvation -> no glucose for TCA)
List the events that occur during starvation
Gluconeogenesis kicks in -> steals oxaloacetate from citric acid cycle to generate glucose
Acetyl-CoA accumulates as fatty acids undergo b oxidation
Citric acid cycle slows -> acetyl CoA is directed to ketone body formation instead of citric acid cycle
Ketone bodies are generated in the liver
Ketone bodies transported to regions in need of energy
Ketones reconverted into acetyl CoA to produce energy