[Regulation of glycogen metabolism in fetal rat liver of IUGR rats].
Fetal liver glycogen content, glycogen synthetase and phosphorylase activity were measured in growth retarded fetuses on 20th day of gestation of pregnant rats. The effects of administration of dexamethasone to the mother were also examined in both enzyme activities in livers of fetal rats. The results obtained were as follows. The incidence of IUGR rats by ligation of maternal uterine vessels on the 17th day of gestation was 85.8%. No changes in fetal body and liver weights were found after the administration of dexamethasone to the mother. In the IUGR fetuses, liver glycogen content was decreased about 25% compared with the control. However, the decreased liver glycogen levels in IUGR fetuses increased to the control level following the administration of dexamethasone. In IUGR fetuses, liver glycogen synthetase activity of both a-form and a + b form decreased. Dexamethasone markedly increased the a-form of glycogen synthetase. The effects of dexamethasone in glycogen phosphorylase activity of fetal liver were unchanged in IUGR fetuses.
D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006006:Glycogen Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006005:Phosphorylases / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats
D003907:Dexamethasone; D006003:Glycogen; D006005:Phosphorylases; D006006:Glycogen Synthase