A comparative study of ketone body metabolism between the camel (Camelus dromedarius) and the sheep (Ovis aries).

ABSTRACT

1. Plasma levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and acetoacetate (AcAc) have been measured in camels (Camelus dromedarius) and sheep (Ovis aries). The activity of beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BHB-deH2) (E.C. 1.1.1.30) was studied in the rumen epithelium and the liver of these animals. 2. Concentrations of plasma BHB and AcAc in the camel were in respective order 33 and 4 times lower than that of the sheep. The ratios of BHB to AcAc were 0.61 and 4.8 for the camel and sheep, respectively. 3. The activity of BHB-deH2 in the rumen epithelium of the camel and sheep were 7.15 and 66 mumol/hr/g wet wt tissue, respectively. The activity in both species was higher in the rumen epithelium than in the liver.