Figure 4.

BHB alone reverses signs of polycystic kidney disease in adult Cy/+ Rats

(A) Western blot of β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 (BDH1) and 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase (OXCT1) from human, Pkd1-Ksp:Cre and Han:SPRD (Cy/+) rat wild-type and polycystic kidneys. NHK = Normal Human Kidney.

(B) Treatment scheme for adult BHB experiments.

(C) Hematoxylin and eosin stained kidneys from 12-week-old polycystic rats supplemented with water, 160mM BHB, or sodium/potassium salts in drinking water. Scale bar = 5mm (Top) and 50μm (Bottom).

(D) 2-kidney over body weight of water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented wild-type and polycystic rats.

(E) Change in the cystic area between 8-week-old water and 12-week-old water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented male and female polycystic rats.

(F) Quantification of the number of cysts per mm² from whole kidney sections of water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented male and female polycystic rats.

(G) Serum creatinine from water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented male and female wild-type and polycystic rats.

(H) Serum total-BHB (L and D-BHB combined) values from water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented male and female wild-type and polycystic rats.

(I) Changes in kidney and body masses between 8-week-old water and 12-week-old water, 160mM BHB, and salt-supplemented male and female wild-type and polycystic rats. (See also Figure S7. One-way ANOVA followed by ad hoc Tukey’s test was used for multiple comparisons. Mean and standard deviations are shown. ∗ = p < 0.05, ∗∗ = p < 0.01, ∗∗∗ = p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗ = p < 0.0001).