Liver lipids and ketone-body formation in rats deficient in pantothenate

Abstract

Rats deficient in pantothenic acid grew less than pair-fed controls and had smaller livers with lower concentrations of neutral fat, but unchanged concentrations of phospholipid and free cholesterol. Carcass lipid was reduced. Their enlarged adrenal glands had a lower cholesterol con- centration. The main difference between liver slices from pantothen-ate-supplemented animals and from those deficient in the vitamin was in the lack of change in oxygen uptake and ketone-body production on addition of octanoate to deficient slices by comparison with the increases observed with control slices. With both groups of slices, and in presence or absence of added octanoate, ketone-body production was proportional to oxygen uptake. In the presence of octanoate, the ratio of ketone-body production to oxygen uptake was decreased by pantothenate deficiency.