Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1967 May;190(2):295–307. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008209

Acetate metabolism in the isolated sheep foetus

D Pauline Alexander, H G Britton, D A Nixon
PMCID: PMC1365294  PMID: 6048998

Abstract

1. Sheep foetuses over the age range 105-142 days and maintained on an extracorporeal circuit removed exogenous acetate at 2·0-4·9 mg/kg.min.

2. Urinary loss of acetate was less than 12·5% of the administered amount.

3. The rate of acetate removal appeared to be unaffected by the addition of glucose to the circuit. The removal of glucose also seemed to be unaffected by the presence of acetate.

4. A decline in the plasma concentration of free fatty acids and ketone bodies was also observed during the perfusion.

5. It is concluded that under these conditions acetate may have accounted for about one half of the oxygen consumption. The contribution of free fatty acids and ketone bodies must have been small. The relevance of these findings to the nutrition of the foetus in utero is discussed.

Full text

PDF
306

Selected References

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

  1. ALEXANDER D. P., BRITTON H. G., NIXON D. A. SURVIVAL OF THE FOETAL SHEEP AT TERM FOLLOWING SHORT PERIODS OF PERFUSION THROUGH THE UMBILICAL VESSELS. J Physiol. 1964 Dec;175:113–124. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007506. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ALEXANDER D. P., NIXON D. A. Reabsorption of glucose, fructose and meso-inositol by the foetal and post-natal sheep kidney. J Physiol. 1963 Jul;167:480–486. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ANNISON E. F., LINDSAY D. B. Acetate utilization in sheep. Biochem J. 1961 Apr;78:777–785. doi: 10.1042/bj0780777. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Alexander D. P., Britton H. G., Nixon D. A. Maintenance of the isolated foetus. Br Med Bull. 1966 Jan;22(1):9–12. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a070446. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Alexander D. P., Britton H. G., Nixon D. A. Observations on the isolated foetal sheep with particular reference to the metabolism of glucose and fructose. J Physiol. 1966 Jul;185(2):382–399. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bergman E. N., Reid R. S., Murray M. G., Brockway J. M., Whitelaw F. G. Interconversions and production of volatile fatty acids in the sheep rumen. Biochem J. 1965 Oct;97(1):53–58. doi: 10.1042/bj0970053. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DAWES G. S., MOTT J. C. CHANGES IN O2 DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN FOETAL LAMBS WITH VARIATIONS IN UMBILICAL BLOOD FLOW. J Physiol. 1964 Apr;170:524–540. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. DAWES G. S., MOTT J. C. The increase in oxygen consumption of the lamb after birth. J Physiol. 1959 May 19;146(2):295–315. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. JARRETT I. G., FILSELL O. H. Acetate tolerance in the young lamb. Nature. 1960 Oct 29;188:418–419. doi: 10.1038/188418a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. JARRETT I. G., FILSELL O. H. An effect of glucose on acetate metabolism in sheep. Nature. 1961 Jun 17;190:1114–1115. doi: 10.1038/1901114b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. JARRETT I. G., POTTER B. J. Metabolism of acetate and propionate in the ruminant. Nature. 1950 Sep 23;166(4221):515–517. doi: 10.1038/166515b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KRONFELD D. S. The fetal drain of hexose in ovine pregnancy toxemia. Cornell Vet. 1958 Oct;48(4):394–404. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. MAYES P. A., ROBSON W. The determination of ketone bodies. Biochem J. 1957 Sep;67(1):11–15. doi: 10.1042/bj0670011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MICHAELS G. D., MARGEN S., LIEBERT G., KINSELL L. W. Studies in fat metabolism. I. The colorimetric determination of ketone bodies in biological fluids. J Clin Invest. 1951 Dec;30(122):1483–1485. doi: 10.1172/JCI102557. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. PUGH P. D., SCARISBRICK R. Acetate uptake by the foetal sheep. J Physiol. 1955 Sep 28;129(3):67P–67P. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1955.sp005387. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. PUGH P. S., SCARISBRICK R. Acetate metabolism in ovine ketosis. Nature. 1952 Dec 6;170(4336):978–979. doi: 10.1038/170978a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. TROUT D. L., ESTES E. H., Jr, FRIEDBERG S. J. Titration of free fatty acids of plasma: a study of current methods and a new modification. J Lipid Res. 1960 Apr;1:199–202. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES