Simultaneous determination of ketone bodies in biological samples by gas chromatographic headspace analysis.

A method is described on gas chromatographic headspace analysis for the determination of the physiological ketone bodies: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. The procedure proposed involves quantitative conversion of both acetoacetate by decarboxylation in a strong acidic medium, and beta-hydroxybutyrate by oxidation to acetoacetate and decarboxylation to acetone, which is then quantified chromatographically. The successful application of the method is illustrated by the values of ketone bodies in plasma, kidney, lung, and liver of fed and 48-hr-fasted rats.