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Two very hyperketotic children

acacBHObIn a series of experiments using isolated rat cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells), the consumption of oxygen was measured when various substrates were added. The figures below show the consumption of oxygen when the cells were provided with 10 µmol /L acetoacetate or beta-hydroxybutyrate as substrates (mean ± sd for 5 x replicate incubations).

substrate
nmol oxygen consumed /min /mg protein
acetoacetate
240 ± 4
beta-hydroxybutyrate
270 ± 3

 

What conclusions can you draw from these results?

See the answer