Lipid metabolism during starvation: hepatic energy balance and ketogenesis.

The purpose of this paper is to integrate lipid catabolism, ketogenesis and acid-base balance during starvation. The calculations made in this presentation may be approximate, but the values give useful information. Emphasis is directed toward hydrogen (hydronium and hydride) transfer during the hyperketonaemic state of starvation, and a special role is assigned to /%hydroxybutyrate as a regulator of hepatic ketogenesis, and therefore a regulator of lipid catabolism. In order to compare the values in this paper with those in the literature, the results are expressed per 1.73m2 body surface area.