Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wg55d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-30T16:31:44.076Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of pregnancy and lactation on the activities of some gluconeogenic and urea-cycle enzymes in sheep liver

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. S. Mackie  and
Rosa M. Campbell
W. S. Mackie
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Rosa M. Campbell
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The effect of reproductive state on the activity in sheep liver of the gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, and of the urea cycle enzymes arginase and the arginine synthetase system, was investigated. The sheep were Blackface ewes that were killed during pregnancy, lactation and after the lambs were weaned, together with non-breeding controls.

The total activities in the liver of glucose-6-phosphatase, and of arginase, fell during pregnancy and rose during lactation in proportion to liver hypertrophy, reaching maximum values late in lactation.

In breeding ewes total hepatic fructose-l,6-diphosphatase activity differed little from that in the controls except in the period 14 days before to 13 days after parturition, during which the activity was 10 times higher than at other times. The arginine synthetase system declined in activity during late pregnancy. There were 2 peaks in activity after parturition, one at 30 days post partum and one at 30 days after the lambs were weaned. The peaks possibly were associated with periods of resorption of maternal proteins.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 79 , Issue 3 , December 1972 , pp. 423 - 429
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Allen, R. J. L. (1940). Estimation of phosphorus. Biochem. J. 34, 858–65.Google Scholar
Baird, G. D. & Heitzman, R. J. (1970). Gluconeogenesis in the cow. Biochem. J. 116, 865—74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bergman, E. N. & Hogue, D. E. (1967). Glucose turnover and oxidation rates in lactating sheep. Am. J. Physiol. 213, 1378–84.Google Scholar
Brown, G. W. ,Jr & Cohen, P. P. (1959). Comparative. biochemistry of urea synthesis. J. biol. Chem. 234, 1769–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fawcett, J. K. & Scott, J. E. (1960). A rapid and precise method for the determination of urea. J. clin. Path. 13, 156–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fell, B. F., Campbell, , Rosa, M., Mackie, , , W. S. & Weekes, T. E. C. (1972). Changes associated with pregnancy and lactation in some extra-reproductive organs of the ewe. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 79, 397–407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Filsell, O. H., Jarrett, I. G., Taylor, P. H. & Keech, D. B. (1969). Effects of fasting, diabetes and glucocorticoids on gluconeogenic enzymes in the sheep. Biochim. biophys. Acta 184, 54–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ford, E. J. H. (1962). The effect of dietary restriction on some liver constituents of sheep during late pregnancy and early lactation. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 59, 67–75.Google Scholar
Gilboe, D. D. & Williams, J. N. (1956), Colorimetric method for rapid determination of arginase activity. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 91, 537–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hadjipieris, G. & Holmes, W. (1966). Studies on feed intake and feed utilization by sheep. 1. The voluntary feed intake of dry, pregnant and lactating ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 66, 217–23.Google Scholar
Harper, A. E. (1963). Glucose-6-phosphatase. In Methods of Enzymatic Analysis (ed. Bergmeyer, H. U.), pp. 788–92. New York and London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Japundžić, I., Cύpić, Ž., Japundžić, M. & Knežević, B. (1969). Mitogenic effect of sodium phenobarbital and rat liver arginase activity. Experientia 25, 599–600.Google Scholar
Leng, R. A. (1970). Glucose synthesis in ruminants. Adv. vet. Sci. Comp. med. 14, 209–60.Google Scholar
Mackie, W. S. & Fell, B. F. (1971). The half-life of serum albumin in relation to liver hypertrophy in the lactating ewe. Res. vet. Sci. 12, 54–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, E. & Morris, J. G. (1969). The effect of protein content of the diet on the rate of urea formation in sheep liver. Biochem. J. 113, 659–62.Google Scholar
Schimke, R. T. (1962). Adaptive characteristics of urea cycle enzymes in the rat. J. biol. Chem. 237, 459–68.Google Scholar
Schimke, R. T. (1963). Studies on factors affecting the levels of urea cycle enzymes in rat liver. J. biol. Chem. 238, 1012–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scrutton, M. C. & Utter, M. F. (1968). The regulation of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in animal tissues. A. Rev. Biochem. 37, 249–302.Google Scholar
Shimbayashi, K. & Yonemura, T. (1970). An aspect of urea cycle enzymes in goat. Agric. biol. Chem, Tokyo 34, 1603–9.Google Scholar
Wahle, K. W. J., Weekes, T. E. C. & Sheeratt, H. S. A. (1972). The metabolism of the small intestine. Physical properties, oxygen uptake and L-lactate formation along the length of the small intestine of the sheep. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 41B, 759–69.Google Scholar
Weber, G. & Cantero, A. (1959). Fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase and lactic dehydrogenase activity in hepatoma and in control human and animal tissues. Cancer Bes. 19, 763–8.Google Scholar
Weekes, T. E. C. (1971). Role of the rumen mucosa in the sheep: relative changes in weight, and in the ability to metabolize propionate during pregnancy and lactation. Res. vet. Sci. 12, 373–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weekes, T. E. C. (1972). Effects of pregnancy and lactation in sheep on the metabolism of propionate by the ruminal mucosa and on some enzymic activities in the ruminal mucosa. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 79, 409–21.Google Scholar
Wimhurst, J. M. & Manchester, K. L. (1970). A comparison of the effects of diabetes induced with either alloxan or streptozotocin and of starvation on the activities in rat liver of the key enzymes of gluconeogenesis. Biochem. J. 120, 95–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed