Glucose partitioning in the pregnant ewe: effects of undernutrition and exercise

Maternal whole-body glucose entry rate and uterine and umbilical net uptakes of glucose and oxygen were measured in single-pregnant ewes which were either well-fed throughout, or fed at 0.3-0.4 predicted energy requirement for 7-21 d during late pregnancy. All ewes were studied while standing at rest and then while walking on a treadmill at 0.7 m/s on a 10 degrees slope for 60 min. Underfed ewes suffered significant decreases in live weight and had lower fetal, but not placental, weights at 140-144 d gestation. Undernutrition also caused large decreases in maternal glycaemia and glucose entry rate, which were associated with equally large decreases in uterine and umbilical net uptakes and O2 quotients of glucose, and with a decrease in placental glucose transfer capacity. Exercise caused increases in maternal blood concentration, entry rate and uterine net uptake of glucose, the magnitudes of which were not significantly affected by plane of nutrition. Umbilical glucose uptake and placental glucose transfer capacity increased during exercise in underfed but not fed ewes. The fractional distribution of maternal glucose to the pregnant uterus, and of uterine glucose uptake to the fetus, were unaltered by undernutrition; during exercise, a disproportionately small fraction of the increased maternal glucose supply went to the uterus. The results confirm that the ovine conceptus responds to nutritional reduction in maternal glucose availability in a manner similar to non-uterine maternal tissues. Major reductions in glucose supply appear to override putative glucose-sparing mechanisms which may operate to favour the conceptus in better-nourished animals.