Resistance to ketosis during prolonged fasting by rats fed on a diet containing undecanoic acid, an odd-carbon-number fatty acid.

1. Sixty-four male rats were fed on a nutritionally complete diet containing 30% of the dietary energy as fat. For thirty-two rats (control) the fat source was maize oil; for the remaining thirty-two rats (experimental) the fat source was triundecanoin-maize oil (7:3, w/w). 2. After 6 weeks, groups of control and experimental rats were fasted and killed on days 0, 1, 2, and 4 of the fasting period. In the experimental group, adipose-tissue fatty acids contained, on average, 246 mmol undecanoic acid/mol total fatty acids. In contrast, the adipose tissue of the control group did not contain odd-carbon-number fatty acids. 3. Plasma glucose levels were significantly higher for all fasted experimental groups and blood ketone levels were significantly lower for these groups. 4. Thus, during prolonged starvation, animals which accumulated odd-C-number fatty acids resisted the development of ketosis. It appeared that odd-C-number fatty acids mobilized from fat depots during fasting may provide their terminal three-C-residues for gluconeogenesis rather than for acetyl-CoA production, thereby allowing for better maintenance of blood glucose and insulin levels than in control animals. 5. It is concluded that the lower acetyl-CoA production and higher blood insulin levels reduce ketogenesis.