Fatty Acid Oxidation in Uncontrolled Diabetes When the acetyl-CoA produced during 8 oxida- tion in the liver exceeds the capacity of the citric acid cycle, the excess acetyl-CoA forms ketone bodies-acetone, acetoacetate, and D-3-hydroxybutyrate. This occurs in severe, uncontrolled diabetes: because the tissues cannot use glucose, they oxidize large amounts of fatty acids instead. Although acetyl-CoA is not toxic, the mitochondrion must divert the acetyl-CoA to ketone bodies. What problem would arise if acetyl-CoA were not converted to ketone bodies? How does the diversion to ketone bodies solve the problem?