Acetoacetic acid (3-oxobutanoic acid) is a β-keto acid and oxidative stress inducer, produced in the body when poor hepatic metabolism leads to excessive catabolism of fatty acids, is involved in the process of gluconeogenesis, and can be used as an indicator of in ketoacidosis.

Methods: Acetoacetic acid (0.6, 2.4, 4.8 mM, 24 h) was used to treat dairy cow hepatocytes, and the related enzyme activities and protein expressions were determined.
Results: Acetoacetic acid can reduce the mRNA expression and enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in a dose-dependent manner, increase the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, induce oxidative stress, and downregulate the mRNA expression of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), inhibit the assembly of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and lead to the accumulation of intracellular triglycerides (TG) and the reduction of VLDL content in the culture medium. [1]