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Maturation of the Glucose Transport Process by the Fetal Kidney
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Maturation of the Glucose Transport Process by the Fetal Kidney

Jean E Robillard, Christine Sessions, Roland L Kennedy and Fred G Smith
Pediatric research, Vol.12(5), pp.680-684
05/1978
DOI: 10.1203/00006450-197805000-00013
PMID: 662473
url
https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197805000-00013View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

In order to study the maturation of the glucose reabsorptive process by the fetal kidney, nine chronic fetal lamb Preparations (0.66-3.72 kg) were studied and values compared to data obtained from four nonpregnant ewes. Blood and urine control values showed there was a close relationship between fetal glomerular filtration rate (GFR mllmin) and fetal body weight (r = 0-78, P < 0.02). The fractional excretion of sodium, during control periods, varied from 3.86-14.76%, but no relation with fetal weight or fetal GFR ml/min was found. The mean value for blood glucose observed at threshold was higher in the fetus (200 ± 13.3 mg/100 ml) than in adult ewes (177 ± 2.8 mg/100 ml). Fetal glucose threshold was correlated to fetal body weight (r = 0.71, P < 0.05) and fetal GFR ml/min (r = 0.74, P < 0.025). The maximum amount of glucose reabsorbed expressed per unit of GFR (TmG/GFR) was reached only in One fetus and was 4.73. In all other fetuses, TmG was not reached since metabolic acidosis developed during the murse of glucose infusion. However, in those fetuses, the highest amount of glucose reabsorbed expressed per unit of GFR (TG/GFR), before glucose infusion was stopped, varied from 2.32 to 3.85 with a mean of 2.83 ± 0.26. In the adult ewes TmG/GFR varied from 1.94 to 2.47, and the mean value (2.21 ± 0.12) was significantly lower (P > 0.05) than the mean TmG/GFR and TG/GFR values found in fetuses. These data indicate that the plasma threshold values for glucose reabsorption by the fetal kidney increased with fetal GFR, suggesting that (here is a parallel development in fetal tubular and glomerular function. Moreover, the fact that fetal TmG/GFR and TG/GFR were higher than adult TmdGFR suggests that there is no functional correlate to the documented anatomic glomerular preponderance during fetal life.

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