Glucose and oxygen metabolism in the fetal foal during late gestation.
Abstract: With the use of [U-14C]glucose tracer methodology, the rates of umbilical uptake, utilization, oxidation, and production of glucose were determined in nine chronically catheterized fetal foals in the fed state between 268 and 325 days of gestation (term approximately 335 days). At the same time, the rates of umbilical O2 and lactate uptake were measured in all nine fetuses by Fick principle. The mean fetal rates of umbilical glucose uptake, glucose utilization, and CO2 production from glucose carbon were 36.9 +/- 2.5, 36.4 +/- 1.7, and 117.7 +/- 17.4 mumol.min-1.kg fetal body wt-1, respectively (n = 9). Endogenous glucose production was therefore negligible in the fetal foal in the fed state. Production of CO2 from glucose carbon accounted for 40.9 +/- 6.5% of the umbilical O2 uptake, which averaged 292 +/- 15 mumol.min-1.kg-1 (n = 9). No significant changes in fetal glucose or O2 metabolism were observed with increasing gestational age. The rates of umbilical glucose uptake, glucose utilization, and CO2 production from glucose carbon (P 0.05), were positively correlated with the fetal blood glucose level. There was a significant umbilical lactate uptake in the fetuses older than 290 days (12.3 +/- 4.1 mumol.min-1.kg-1, n = 5, P 0.05). Hence, glucose is used for both oxidative and nonoxidative metabolism in utero and is a major, although not the sole, oxidative substrate in the fetal foal during late gestation.
Publication Date: 1995-12-01 PubMed ID: 8594949DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.1995.269.6.R1455Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article focuses on studying how glucose and oxygen are metabolized in fetal foals during late gestation, revealing that glucose is a major oxidative substrate and is used for both oxidative and nonoxidative metabolism in utero.
Research Methodology
- The study was conducted on nine fetal foals between 268 and 325 days of gestation with the help of a [U-14C]glucose tracer methodology.
- This technique enabled researchers to measure the umbilical uptake rates, utilization, oxidation, and production of glucose in these fetuses.
- Simultaneously, umbilical O2 and lactate uptake rates were also recorded in all nine fetuses using the Fick principle.
Key Findings
- The fetal rates of glucose uptake, utilization, and CO2 production turned out to be 36.9 +/- 2.5, 36.4 +/- 1.7, and 117.7 +/- 17.4 mumol.min-1.kg fetal body wt-1, respectively.
- This suggests that endogenous glucose production is insignificant when the fetal foal is in the fed state.
- The study also found that CO2 produced from glucose carbon made up for about 40.9 +/- 6.5% of the umbilical oxygen uptake.
- The researchers noticed no significant changes in fetal glucose or O2 metabolism with the increase in gestational age.
Correlation Findings
- The rates of umbilical glucose uptake, glucose utilization, and CO2 production from glucose carbon were found to be positively correlated with the fetal blood glucose level.
- However, the rate of umbilical O2 uptake was not significantly related to the fetal blood glucose level (P > 0.05).
- A notable umbilical lactate uptake was observed in fetuses older than 290 days but not in younger ones.
Conclusion
- The results of the study indicate that glucose is a major oxidative substrate during late gestation in fetal foals.
- Glucose is used for both oxidative and nonoxidative metabolism in utero.
- Although glucose is predominant, it is not the only oxidative substrate in the fetal foal during late gestation.
Cite This Article
APA
Fowden AL, Silver M.
(1995).
Glucose and oxygen metabolism in the fetal foal during late gestation.
Am J Physiol, 269(6 Pt 2), R1455-R1461.
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1995.269.6.R1455 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Embryonic and Fetal Development
- Female
- Fetal Blood
- Fetus / metabolism
- Gestational Age
- Glucose / metabolism
- Horses
- Lactates / blood
- Lactic Acid
- Oxygen Consumption
- Placenta / metabolism
- Pregnancy
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Karlíková R, Široká J, Mech M, Friedecký D, Janečková H, Mádrová L, Hrdinová F, Drábková Z, Dobešová O, Adam T, Jahn P. Newborn foal with atypical myopathy. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Sep;32(5):1768-1772.
- Fowden AL, Taylor PM, White KL, Forhead AJ. Ontogenic and nutritionally induced changes in fetal metabolism in the horse. J Physiol 2000 Oct 1;528 Pt 1(Pt 1):209-19.
- White MR, Yates DT. Dousing the flame: reviewing the mechanisms of inflammatory programming during stress-induced intrauterine growth restriction and the potential for ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intervention. Front Physiol 2023;14:1250134.
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