"The Effects of Ketone Body β-Hydroxybutyrate on eNOS Levels and VCAM-1 Expression in Wistar Rats Exposed to Cigarette Smoke" (Andrianto et al., 2021)

Zoe Speaking of nitric oxide reminds me of Viagra. I read that Viagra produces nitric oxide in the corpus cavernosum to improve erectile dysfunction. So if you do a ketogenic diet, does eNOS increase a lot? If more eNOS is produced, would it also help improve sexual dysfunction?

Dr. Lee Haha, yes — research suggests that. While we're on the subject, let's look at a related paper. The title is The Effects of Ketone Body β-Hydroxybutyrate on eNOS Levels and VCAM-1 Expression in Wistar Rats Exposed to Cigarette Smoke (Andrianto et al., 2021). This study used 25 rats divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. There were 2 control groups: C(−) which received no cigarette smoke, and C(+) which was exposed to cigarette smoke. There were 3 experimental groups, K1, K2, and K3, all exposed to cigarette smoke. K1 received 1.5 g of β-hydroxybutyric acid per kg of body weight daily. K2 received 3.0 g and K3 received 6.0 g.

The results showed eNOS averaged 234 in C(−), and 21 in C(+). So in C(+), where rats were exposed to smoke, eNOS dropped sharply. In rats given 1.5 g of ketones, eNOS rose to an average of 182. Rats given 3.0 g had eNOS of 263 — even higher than rats not exposed to smoke. Interestingly, rats given 6.0 g of ketones had eNOS of only 21 — actually lower. This can be interpreted to mean that with sufficient ketone intake, the ketones themselves regulate the vasculature so well that there's no need to produce much eNOS. It's like a peaceful village requiring less police activity.