Perinatal glutathione levels in liver and brain of rats from large and small litters.
In the rat, hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels increase prenatally and reach maximum concentrations at term. They are independent of the kind of delivery (cesarean section, spontaneous labor). Brain levels are distinctly lower and do not show a perinatal peak. In both organs a slight increase of GSH concentrations can be observed in the first 3 h after birth. Different litter sizes representing different intrauterine development conditions do not influence GSH levels, which is in contrast to the recently reported effect of litter size on prenatal development of hepatic gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) activity. We suggest that perinatal GGT activity and GSH levels are regulated by different mechanisms.
Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, FRG.
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Glöckner
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Kretzchmar
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D008098:Litter Size; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D005978:Glutathione