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Fetal and neonatal responses to maternal canine starvation: circulating fuels and neonatal glucose production
Pregnant dogs were starved for 72 hr while controls were fasted overnight. Maternal starvation significantly reduced fetal birth weight (269 +/- 7.2 versus 294 +/- 4.4 g). Total caloric deprivation had no effect on maternal or fetal blood glucose concentration at the time of delivery; however, fasting neonatal blood glucose levels were depressed during the first 9 hr of life. Starvation produced a large elevation of maternal free fatty acids (1.68 +/- 0.39 versus 0.74 +/- 0.2 mM) and ketone bodies (2.99 +/- 0.70 versus 1.04 +/- 0.48). Although fetal free fatty acids increased minimally (0.39 +/- 0.03 versus 0.22 +/- 0.07), ketone body levels were markedly elevated (2.53 +/- 0.35 versus 1.01 +/- 0.32). After birth, plasma-free fatty acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were lower in pups of starved mothers at 3 hr, and acetoacetate was lower at 6 and 9 hr. Other alternate fuels such as amino acids demonstrated lower levels of glutamine in pups of starved mothers throughout the day (except 3 hr), whereas alanine levels declined significantly only at 24 hr (114.9 +/- 15 versus 187.6 +/- 26 microM. Glucose production was significantly depressed in pups of starved mothers at 3 (13.7 +/- 1.4 versus 22.7 +/- 3) and 9 hr (17.5 +/- 2.2 versus 26.0 +/- 2.8 mumoles/kg/min), whereas glucose clearance rates were elevated at 3, 6 and 9 hr of age. Lactate carbon incorporation into glucose increased throughout the day but was not significantly affected by prior maternal starvation.
Pregnant dogs were starved for 72 hr while controls were fasted overnight. Maternal starvation significantly reduced fetal birth weight (269 +/- 7.2 versus 294 +/- 4.4 g). Total caloric deprivation had no effect on maternal or fetal blood glucose concentration at the time of delivery; however, fasting neonatal blood glucose levels were depressed during the first 9 hr of life. Starvation produced a large elevation of maternal free fatty acids (1.68 +/- 0.39 versus 0.74 +/- 0.2 mM) and ketone bodies (2.99 +/- 0.70 versus 1.04 +/- 0.48). Although fetal free fatty acids increased minimally (0.39 +/- 0.03 versus 0.22 +/- 0.07), ketone body levels were markedly elevated (2.53 +/- 0.35 versus 1.01 +/- 0.32). After birth, plasma-free fatty acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were lower in pups of starved mothers at 3 hr, and acetoacetate was lower at 6 and 9 hr. Other alternate fuels such as amino acids demonstrated lower levels of glutamine in pups of starved mothers throughout the day (except 3 hr), whereas alanine levels declined significantly only at 24 hr (114.9 +/- 15 versus 187.6 +/- 26 microM. Glucose production was significantly depressed in pups of starved mothers at 3 (13.7 +/- 1.4 versus 22.7 +/- 3) and 9 hr (17.5 +/- 2.2 versus 26.0 +/- 2.8 mumoles/kg/min), whereas glucose clearance rates were elevated at 3, 6 and 9 hr of age. Lactate carbon incorporation into glucose increased throughout the day but was not significantly affected by prior maternal starvation.