Enantioselective determination of 3-hydroxybutyrate in the tissues of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats of different ages

l-3-Hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and d-3HB are enantiomers that exist in various rat tissues, and the ratio of the 2 compounds is of importance since it may affect glucose utilization in cardiomyocytes. In this study, we determined the concentrations of l-3HB and d-3HB in the tissues of normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats of different ages by column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescence detection system. In normal rats, the levels of l-3HB peaked at 8 weeks of age in the cerebrum, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, adrenal gland, and heart and then decreased afterwards. The concentrations of l-3HB were the highest in the heart, with 26.24 ± 13.74 μmol/mg protein. In addition, there was an increase in the levels of (d + l)-3HB, d-3HB, and l-3HB in the tissues of diabetic rats with time, whereas the ratios of l-3HB to (d + l)-3HB declined (46.44% vs. 21.03%, P < 0.05, in heart tissue after 24 weeks of STZ treatment). Both the concentration and the ratio of l-3HB may be associated with disease conditions, and the determination of l-3HB may help clarify the role of l-3HB under physiological and pathological conditions.