title: Longissimus muscle and plasma enzymes and metabolites in fetally decapitated pigs.
abstract: Fetuses of nine gilts were decapitated (D) in utero and fetuses of eight gilts were sham operated (C) at 43 to 47 days of pregnancy. At 110 days, one fetus from each gilt was studied. Heart, liver, kidney, thyroid and body weights were recorded. Thyroids were evaluated for the degree of colloid accumulation and height of the follicular epithelium. Blood glucose, lactate, triglycerides and creatine phosphokinase activity were determined. Longissimus muscle glycogen was evaluated histochemically. Longissimus muscle total phosphorylase, phosphorylase a, G-6-PDH and SDH activity and glycogen were determined biochemically. The D fetuses were hairless, edematous, devoid of adrenal glands and unaffected by maternal anesthesia. Results indicate that the fetal pig pituitary gland is not required for continued fetal growth, but is necessary for normal organ and endocrine gland development. Fetal decapitation caused delayed maturation of the longissimus muscle with little change in anaerobic glycolytic capacity but decreased aerobic glycolytic capacity accompanied by increased activity of the pentose shunt.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001835:Body Weight; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D006003:Glycogen / Q000032:analysis; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis / Q000201:enzymology*; D009929:Organ Size; D006005:Phosphorylases / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D013552:Swine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007773:Lactates; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D006003:Glycogen; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D006005:Phosphorylases; D003402:Creatine Kinase