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Metabolism

Ketone bodies

DEKetonkörper

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Ketone bodies are three water-soluble molecules—β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone—produced in hepatocyte mitochondria from acetyl-CoA derived from fatty acid β-oxidation when carbohydrate availability is low. Beyond serving as efficient ATP fuel for brain and heart, β-hydroxybutyrate is an endogenous signaling molecule that inhibits class I histone deacetylases, dampens NLRP3 inflammasome activity, and may improve mitochondrial efficiency, mechanisms relevant to fasting biology and longevity research.

Sources

  1. Owen OE, Morgan AP, Kemp HG, Sullivan JM, Herrera MG, Cahill GF Jr. (1967). Brain Metabolism During Fasting. *Journal of Clinical Investigation*doi:10.1172/JCI105650
  2. Puchalska P, Crawford PA. (2017). Multi-Dimensional Roles of Ketone Bodies in Fuel Metabolism, Signaling, and Therapeutics. *Cell Metabolism*doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2016.12.022