Abstract
Although hypoglycemia during maternal fasting in late pregnancy has been ascribed to continuing glucose loss to the conceptus, documentation in non-ruminants has not been secured. Therefore, glucose kinetics after one-day fast were measured in conscious, unrestrained pregnant rats (day 18 and 19 gestation) and age-matched virgin controls. Equilibrium infusions with glucose-6-14C and glucose-6-3H were instituted to assess recycling as well as total glucose turnover. As judged by gluc-6-3H, total glucose turnover was augmented 42 % in fasted gravid animals (20.3 ± 2.2 vs. 14.3 ± 1.7 μmoles/min; p < 0.001). This was not attended by disparate recycling since net glucose utilization (as tested with gluc-6-14C) was increased 49 % (15.2 ± 1.2 vs. 10.2 ± 1.4 μmoles/min; p< 0.001) and paired ratios for 14C/3H glucose turnover were similar in pregnant and control rats (0.78 vs. 0.80). Glucose turnover did not correlate with blood sugar, nor total body weight in non-gravid or extrauterine body weight in gravid animals. However, net glucose utilization correlated significantly with the mass of the whole conceptus (r=0.744; p < 0.001). These data indicate that glucose utilization is enhanced during dietary deprivation in late pregnancy in non-ruminants despite prevailing hyperlipacidemia. The phenomenon appears to be linked to the potential for glucose removal by the conceptus and thus represents an ever-increasing stimulus to extrauterine glucose conservation.
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Ogata, E., Sanders, L., Metzger, B. et al. 884 EFFECTS OF THE CONCEPTUS ON GLUCOSE KINETICS DURING FASTING IN PREGNANCY. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 511 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00889
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00889