Glucose and pyruvate metabolism during mouse gonadal sex differentiation

In the mouse, gonadal sex differentiation starts around E12 and meiosis begins in the ovary shortly after E13. In the search for metabolic changes that might be correlated to gonadal sex differentiation and/or possibly the onset of meiosis, we investigated the metabolism of glucose and pyruvate in the developing mouse ovary before (E11.5-E12.5), during (E14.5-16.5), and after meiosis (E18.5), and in fetal testes without meiosis. Gonads were cultured with 14C-labeled glucose (0.02 and 5.58 mM) and 14C-pyruvate (0.17 mM). The oxidation expressed as 14CO2 production and the organification expressed as retention of 14C in the tissues were measured and correlated to the protein content of the gonads. Using 0.02 mM glucose, a decline in oxidation and organification was found in ovaries as well as in testes, which is probably related to starvation. Using 5.58 mM glucose, a continuous decline in oxidation was seen only in the testis. Organification of 0.17 mM pyruvate increased at E12.5 and E14.5 in the ovary but not in the testis. This was in despite of an exponential increase of protein content in the testes compared to only a moderate increase in the ovary. The CO2 production from 5.58 mM glucose was equal to that from 0.17 mM pyruvate in gonads of both sexes. In conclusion, an increased metabolism of 5.58 mM glucose and 0.17 mM pyruvate in the ovaries as compared to the testes is related to sex differences during gonadal formation and onset of meiosis in the ovaries. J. Exp. Zool. 288:130-138, 2001.