Gluconeogenesis from alanine in vivo by the ovine fetus and lamb.
Gluconeogenesis from alanine was determined with an intravenous infusion of [U-14C]alanine and [6-3H]glucose or [U-14C]glucose in five fetal lambs (3.6 +/- 0.1 kg; 127 days of gestation) and four growing ewe lambs (37 +/- 2 kg). Conversion of alanine to glucose (mmol/h) was 0.40 +/- 0.12 and 0.51 +/- 0.10 and accounted for 7.3 and 25.6%  of the alanine turnover in fetal and growing lambs, respectively. Alanine contributed 2.3 and 1.1% of the glucose turnover and 22.3 and 1.1% of the lactate turnover in fetal and growing lambs, respectively. Lactate contributed 19.5% of the glucose turnover in growing lambs, and glucose synthesis from lactate accounted for 24.7% of the lactate turnover. Glucose turnover (mmol/h) was 10.2 and 25.1 in fetal and growing lambs, respectively. Results from these studies have shown that the fetal lamb at 127 days of gestation has a high rate of alanine turnover and conversion to glucose when compared with that of the growing lamb on a high plane of nutrition.
D000409:Alanine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005943:Gluconeogenesis; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*
D000596:Amino Acids; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007773:Lactates; D005947:Glucose; D000409:Alanine