title: Localization and quantification of glucose transporters in liver of growth-retarded fetal and neonatal rats.
abstract: To determine whether altered transport of glucose into the hepatocyte may be an important factor contributing to abnormal hepatic glucose metabolism in the intrauterine growth-retarded (IUGR) fetus and newborn, we measured glucose transport (glucose uptake, GLUT protein, and mRNA) and localization of GLUT protein in liver of control (sham operated) and IUGR fetal (day 20) and postnatal (1, 4, 14, and 21 days) rats. GLUT-1 and -2 proteins were localized to the hepatocyte. Glucose uptake and GLUT-1 protein and mRNA levels were increased in IUGR fetal and neonatal liver. GLUT-2 protein and mRNA levels were low in IUGR and control fetal liver. After birth, GLUT-2 abundance did not differ from controls. Run-on experiments showed that the rate of transcription of GLUT-1 and -2 did not differ between IUGR and control rats. However, the transcription rate of GLUT-1 decreased with age, and the GLUT-2 transcription rate increased with age. These studies indicate that the metabolic and physiological factors that cause IUGR also alter glucose transporter expression in fetal liver.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School and Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Flozak
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Simmons
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495679:Slc2a1 protein, rat; D005947:Glucose