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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
Hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase development in preterm and full-term guinea-pigs: comparison with rat and human
H Lyall1, H M Scott, A Burchell
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, United Kingdom.
Insights
Prematurity does not permanently alter liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity in guinea pigs. Postnatal development of this enzyme is not significantly impacted by being born early.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
- Neonatal Physiology
Background:
- Hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity is crucial for glucose homeostasis after birth.
- Term infants exhibit a significant postnatal rise in G6Pase activity.
- Preterm infants often show persistently low G6Pase activity, suggesting potential developmental impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if prematurity causes long-term changes in hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity in mammals.
- To examine the ontogeny of G6Pase in term and preterm guinea pigs.
Main Methods:
- Studied hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity in term guinea pigs.
- Analyzed G6Pase activity in guinea pigs delivered prematurely via Caesarean section.
- Compared G6Pase activity levels at birth and during the postnatal period.
Main Results:
- Hepatic G6Pase activity was approximately 5-fold lower in preterm guinea pigs at birth compared to term neonates.
- Preterm guinea pigs demonstrated a rapid increase in G6Pase activity postnatally, reaching levels similar to term-born counterparts.
- The postnatal changes in hepatic G6Pase activity in term guinea pigs were less pronounced than those observed in rats or human infants.
Conclusions:
- Prematurity alone does not lead to abnormal long-term development of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity in guinea pigs.
- The guinea pig model suggests that the observed low G6Pase activity in preterm infants may not be solely due to prematurity itself.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind altered G6Pase activity in preterm human infants.
Abstract:
In term infants, hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity rises several-fold in the first few days after birth. In contrast, in many preterm infants, the postnatal rise in activity does not occur and the abnormally low levels can persist. In an attempt to determine if prematurity causes long-term changes in levels of glucose-6-phosphatase in liver of all mammals, we have studied the ontogeny of glucose-6-phosphatase in term guinea-pigs, and also in guinea-pigs delivered prematurely by Caesarean section. The activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase in preterm guinea-pigs is about 5-fold lower than in term guinea-pigs at birth but the activity rises rapidly to very similar values to those found in term guinea-pigs. This indicates that prematurity alone does not result in abnormal development of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity in guinea pigs. The changes in liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the postnatal period in term guinea-pigs were much smaller than those occurring in term postnatal rats or term infants.
