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Published on: November 11, 2025
[Age-related metabolic development in rats: insulin's role]
Bessem Mornagui1, Abir Grissa, Fazaa Saloua El
1Laboratoire de Physiologie Animale, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisie.
Insights
This study tracked metabolic and hormonal changes in Wistar rats from fetus to adult. Key shifts in carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and insulin occur significantly at birth and weaning.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
Context:
- Understanding metabolic and hormonal shifts during development is crucial for identifying normal physiological changes and potential disruptions.
- Wistar rats serve as a common model organism for studying mammalian development and metabolism.
Purpose:
- To investigate developmental changes in plasma and hepatic concentrations of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in Wistar rats.
- To examine the evolution of insulin levels throughout the developmental stages, from prenatal to adult.
- To correlate these biochemical and hormonal changes with specific developmental milestones such as birth and weaning.
Summary:
- Fetal rats (day 21) exhibited lower glycemia, higher hepatic glycogen, and reduced plasma/hepatic lipids and proteins compared to adults (day 133), with significantly higher fetal insulinemia.
- Post-birth, glycemia increased, hepatic glycogen depleted, plasma/hepatic lipids and proteins rose, and insulin levels dropped sharply.
- During postnatal days 14-30 (weaning), hepatic glycogen and glycemia normalized, plasma/hepatic proteins increased, lipids decreased, and insulin levels rose, stabilizing in adulthood.
Impact:
- Provides a comprehensive timeline of key metabolic and hormonal adaptations during rat development.
- Highlights critical periods of metabolic and endocrine transition, particularly around birth and weaning.
- Establishes baseline physiological data for Wistar rats, valuable for future research on developmental disorders and metabolic diseases.
Abstract:
The aim of our work was to study the developmental changes in plasma and hepatic concentrations of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in "Wistar" rats between prepartum day 1 (fetus considered J-1) and postpartum day 133 (adult considered j+133). In addition, the evolution of insulinemia has been examined. The 21 day aged fetus (j-1), as compared to the adult (j+133) showed a lower glycemia, a higher stock of hepatic glycogen, lower rates of lipids and proteins in the plasma and in the liver. The fetal insulinemia was significantly higher than adult's. After the delivrance we have attended to an increase of the glycemia and a very marked depletion of the glycogenic stock in the liver. The plasma and hepatic lipids and proteins rose after birth. The insulinemia fell considerably and reached the lowest level. Between the 14th and 30th day of the postnatal life, a restoration of the stock of the hepatic glycogen, a normal glycemia, an elevation of the plasma and hepatic rates of proteins, and a decrease of the lipidic levels in plasma and liver were recorded. In addition the concentration of insulin increased during this period. All these values remained steady during the adult stage. We conclude that the development of rats is accompanied with several metabolic and hormonal changes. These are particularly marked at birth and weaning.
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