Background:Ketogenic diet has been used as supporting therapy in a range of condition including epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. However, its effects on blood gas profile have not been studied. Objective:This study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term consumption of ketogenic diet on blood gas profiles in rat model. Materials and Methods:Fifteen male Wistar rats were divided into control (n=8) and ketogenic (n=7) groups. Controls received standard diet contained 79.68% of carbohydrates, 1.85% of fat, and 18.47% of protein; while the ketogenic group was given a high fat and low carbohydrate diet contained 11.23% of carbohydrate, 83.05% of fat and 5.72% of protein. All rats were caged individually and received 30g of either standard or high-fat-low-carbohydrate pellets. The experiment was carried out for 60 days before the blood samples were taken. The analysis of blood gas profile was performed using i-Stat analyzer.Results:The rats subjected to ketogenic diet experienced a marked decrease in body weight and had a high level of blood ketones (p<0.05). There were no significant changes found in blood PCO₂, PO₂, SO₂and HCO₃^-compared to controls; however, the average blood pH was 7,36 ± 0,02and base excess was -5.57± 2.39 mOsm/L, which were significantly lower than controls (p<0.05). Conclusion:Ketogenic diet induces metabolic acidosis in rats following 60 days of consuming high-fat-low carbohydrate diet. This undesirable effect of ketogenic diet could appear due to long-term application.

Key words:Ketogenic diet, Blood gas, ketones, blood pH, base excess