Abstract
ABSTRACT: We studied ten normoglycemic [maternal glucose (GA)=70 mg/dL] and six insulin-induced hypoglycemic (GA=22 mg/dL) pregnant sheep to test the hypothesis that development of fetal glucose production (GPR) could help maintain fetal glucose concentration, limit uteroplacental- fetal glucose transfer (UPGT), and sustain uteroplacental glucose consumption (UPGC). Compared with the normoglycemic group, the hypoglycemic group demonstrated the following values: fetal glucose concentration (Ga) was 9.8 ± 0.8 mg/dL (51% lower, p<0.01), uterine glucose uptake (UtGU) was 16.7 ± 1.4 mg/min (54% lower, p<0.01), UPGT was 3.1 ± 0.6 mg/min (81% lower, p<0.001), and UPGC was 13.6 ± 1.4 mg/min (30% lower, p<0.05). The reduction in UPGC was significantly less (p<0.05) than the reductions in UPGT and UtGU. Fetal glucose utilization rate (GUR) was decreased 20% (p<0.05) to 3.99 ± 0.35 mg/min/kg. A further decrease in GUR was prevented by the appearance of fetal GPR of 2.82 ± 0.32 mg/min/kg (p<0.05) compared with negligible GPR in the normoglycemic group. UPGT and UPGC in both groups were not influenced by maternal or fetal insulin infusions as long as Ga did not change; however, fetal glucose infusion that increased Ga increased UPGC in both groups. We conclude that, during chronic maternal hypoglycemia, increased fetal GPR limits the simultaneous decrease in fetal GUR and glucose concentration. By sustaining Ga fetal GPR limits UPGT to a significantly greater extent than UtGU, diverting UtGU to UPGC. Thus, fetal GPR promotes placental as well as fetal metabolic autonomy when the maternal supply of glucose is reduced.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Digiacomo, J., Hay, W. Regulation of Placental Glucose Transfer and Consumption by Fetal Glucose Production. Pediatr Res 25, 429–434 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198905000-00001
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198905000-00001
This article is cited by
-
Contraception and pregnancy in women affected by glycogen storage diseases
European Journal of Pediatrics (2002)
-
Development of primary culture of ovine fetal hepatocytes for studies of amino acid metabolism and insulinlike growth factors
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal (1993)