Motivation: Oral consumption of the ketone-monoester (R)−3-hydroxybutyl-(R)−3-hydroxybutyrate (HBHB) raises the plasma ketone-body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), providing a means to study ketone body metabolism. HBHB Hydrolysis however produces BHB and 1,3-butanediol, which share prominent spectral signatures complicating metabolite quantification. Goal(s): Investigate feasibility and robustly detection of BHB. Subsequently, investigate brain ketone-body metabolism in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Approach: HBHB was administered orally, and brain metabolism was monitored over 90 minutes using MRS with 1,3-butanediol included as a reference spectrum. Results: Combined BHB and the co-edited 1,3-butanediol were robustly detected, though separate quantification of BHB and 1,3-butanediol was challenging due to low concentrations. Impact: Accurate BHB quantification is critical to evaluate BHB transport into the brain post-keto-ester consumption. A modified J-difference editing strategy is expected to mitigate shortcomings to investigate BHB transport to assess disease severity and gain insights related to craving in AUD.
Virk et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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