Skip to main content
PMC home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1970 Jul;118(3):531–536. doi: 10.1042/bj1180531

Glycerol metabolism in the neonatal rat

R G Vernon 1,*, D G Walker 1
PMCID: PMC1179222  PMID: 5472182

Abstract

1. The possible role of glycerol as a precursor in neonatal gluconeogenesis in the rat was investigated by recording the activities of glycerol kinase and l-glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the liver, kidney and other tissues around birth and during the neonatal period. 2. Blood glycerol concentrations in the neonatal rat are high. 3. There is a marked increase after birth in the ability of both liver and kidney slices to convert glycerol into glucose plus glycogen that correlates with the increase in glycerol kinase activity. 4. High hepatic and renal l-glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities are also found in the neonatal period. 5. The marked capacity for neonatal gluconeogenesis from glycerol thus demonstrated and the role of glycerol kinase in its control are discussed.

Full text

PDF
531

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BALLARD F. J., OLIVER I. T. Glycogen metabolism in embryonic chick and neonatal rat liver. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1963 Jun 4;71:578–588. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(63)91130-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BORCHGREVINK C. F., HAVEL R. J. TRANSPORT OF GLYCEROL IN HUMAN BLOOD. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1963 Aug-Sep;113:946–949. doi: 10.3181/00379727-113-28539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bergman E. N. Glycerol turnover in the nonpregnant and ketotic pregnant sheep. Am J Physiol. 1968 Oct;215(4):865–873. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.215.4.865. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CAHILL G. F., Jr, ASHMORE J., RENOLD A. E., HASTINGS A. B. Blood glucose and the liver. Am J Med. 1959 Feb;26(2):264–282. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(59)90316-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DYMSZA H. A., CZAJKA D. M., MILLER S. A. INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL DIET ON WEIGHT GAIN AND BODY COMPOSITION OF THE NEONATAL RAT. J Nutr. 1964 Oct;84:100–106. doi: 10.1093/jn/84.2.100. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dawkins M. J. Biochemical aspects of developing function in newborn mammalian liver. Br Med Bull. 1966 Jan;22(1):27–33. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a070432. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Exton J. H., Park C. R. Control of gluconeogenesis in liver. I. General features of gluconeogenesis in the perfused livers of rats. J Biol Chem. 1967 Jun 10;242(11):2622–2636. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grunnet N., Lundquist F. Kinetics of glycerol kinases from mammalian liver and Candida mycoderma. Eur J Biochem. 1967 Dec;3(1):78–84. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1967.tb19500.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HAESSLER H. A., ISSELBACHER K. J. THE METABOLISM OF GLYCEROL BY INTESTINAL MUCOSA. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1963 Jul 9;73:427–436. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(63)90444-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HAYASHI S., LIN E. C. CAPTURE OF GLYCEROL BY CELLS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1965 Mar 29;94:479–487. doi: 10.1016/0926-6585(65)90056-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hahn P., Greenberg R. Incorporation of 1,3-C 14 -glycerol into triglycerides of adipose tissue from suckling rats. Life Sci II. 1968 Feb 15;7(4):187–190. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(68)90304-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Himms-Hagen J. Glycerol metabolism in rabbits. Can J Biochem. 1968 Sep;46(9):1107–1114. doi: 10.1139/o68-165. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. KREBS H. THE CROONIAN LECTURE, 1963. GLUCONEOGENESIS. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1964 Mar 17;159:545–564. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1964.0019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. NOVAK M., MELICHAR V., HAHN P. POSTNATAL CHANGES IN THE BLOOD SERUM CONTENT OF GLYCEROL AND FATTY ACIDS IN HUMAN INFANTS. Biol Neonat. 1964;7:179–184. doi: 10.1159/000239922. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Newsholme E. A., Robinson J., Taylor K. A radiochemical enzymatic activity assay for glycerol kinase and hexokinase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1967 Mar 15;132(2):338–346. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(67)90153-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Owen O. E., Morgan A. P., Kemp H. G., Sullivan J. M., Herrera M. G., Cahill G. F., Jr Brain metabolism during fasting. J Clin Invest. 1967 Oct;46(10):1589–1595. doi: 10.1172/JCI105650. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rawat A. K., Lundquist F. Influence of thyroxine on the metabolism of ethanol and glycerol in rat liver slices. Eur J Biochem. 1968 Jun;5(1):13–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1968.tb00329.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Robinson J., Newsholme E. A. Some properties of hepatic glycerol kinase and their relation to the control of glycerol utilization. Biochem J. 1969 May;112(4):455–464. doi: 10.1042/bj1120455. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Robinson J., Newsholme E. A. The effects of dietary conditions and glycerol concentration on glycerol uptake by rat liver and kidney-cortex slices. Biochem J. 1969 May;112(4):449–453. doi: 10.1042/bj1120449. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SHERMAN J. R. Rapid enzyme assay technique utilizing radioactive substrate, ion-exchange paper, and liquid scintillation counting. Anal Biochem. 1963 Jun;5:548–554. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(63)90075-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Scopes R. K. Crystalline 3-phosphoglycerate kinase from skeletal muscle. Biochem J. 1969 Jul;113(3):551–554. doi: 10.1042/bj1130551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Steinberg D. Fatty acid mobilization--mechanisms of regulation and metabolic consequences. Biochem Soc Symp. 1963;24:111–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Stetten M. R., Rounbehler D. Enzymatic synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate (D-alpha-glycerophosphate). Inorganic pyrophosphate-glycerol phosphotransferase and inorganic pyrophosphate-glucose phosphotransferase compared. J Biol Chem. 1968 Apr 25;243(8):1823–1832. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Taylor C. B., Bailey E., Bartley W. Changes in hepatic lipigenesis during development of the rat. Biochem J. 1967 Nov;105(2):717–722. doi: 10.1042/bj1050717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Tepperman H. M., Tepperman J. Adaptive changes in alpha-glycerophosphate-generating enzymes in rat liver. Am J Physiol. 1968 Jan;214(1):67–72. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.214.1.67. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vernon R. G., Eaton S. W., Walker D. G. Carbohydrate formation from various precursors in noenatal rat liver. Biochem J. 1968 Dec;110(4):725–731. doi: 10.1042/bj1100725. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Vernon R. G., Walker D. G. Changes in activity of some enzymes involved in glucose utilization and formation in developing rat liver. Biochem J. 1968 Jan;106(2):321–329. doi: 10.1042/bj1060321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. WIELAND O., SUYTER M. Glycerokinase; Isolierung und Eigenschaften des Enzyms. Biochem Z. 1957;329(4):320–331. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Yeung D., Oliver I. T. Gluconeogenesis from amino acids in neonatal rat liver. Biochem J. 1967 Jun;103(3):744–748. doi: 10.1042/bj1030744. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES