Possible metabolic implications of pyruvate and lactate accumulation in the liver of pregnant rats.

ABSTRACT

Experiments were designed to investigate whether the metabolic responses of pregnant females are in keeping with the known state of gestational hyperinsulinemia. Groups of female rats fed a 32% protein diet were killed on days 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21 of pregnancy, during either daytime or during night-time. Liver pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were increased over nonpregnant values from day 13 onward in agreement with what can be expected as a result of the gestational hyperinsulinemia. Liver malate dehydrogenase (NADP) activity was increased to lesser extent and later. Pyruvate and lactate accumulated in maternal liver from day 13 onward. The fact that this accumulation could not be related to any further increase of food intake during this time and that it correlated at day 21 with litter size was taken as indication of a probable contribution of the conceptus to maternal pyruvate and lactate accumulation in late pregnancy. Liver alanine amino-transferase activity decreased as pregnancy progressed. No change in serine dehydratase activity was found. Cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase activity remained unchanged. Mitochondrial activity increased as pregnancy progressed.