BLOOD KETONES AND SERUM LIPIDS IN STARVATION AND WATER DEPRIVATION 123

Abstract

Few observations of the behavior of serum lipids in acute human starvation have been re-ported and no studies using present improved analytical methods are available. The occa-sional published reports of changes in serum lipids in fasting experimental animals are often contradictory (1 to 9). Increases in the blood ketone bodies during starvation are well recog-nized (10 to 15), but have never been systemati-cally related to serum lipid changes. In this study, serum lipids and blood ketones were determined simultaneously in 14 fasting normal male human subjects, some of whom were also deprived of water. These have been supplemented with experiments on fasting mon-I Lt. Col. D. B. Dill, Q. M. C., A. U. S., was responsible for the inception of this work and guided it through its initial stages. Capt. J. M. Quashnock, M. C., A. U. S., assisted in the management of the experiments and in the analysis of the data, as well as serving as a volunteer subject.