Evidence for delayed development of the glucagon receptor of adenylate cyclase in the fetal and neonatal rat heart.

The effects, in vivo, of epinephrine, glucagon, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) on the glycogen content of rat heart and liver and, in vitro, upon adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates of rat heart and liver were determined during the latter third of gestation and the neonatal period. Hepatic glycogen was depleted by epinephrine, glucagon, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, but myocardial glycogen was depleted only by epinephrine and dibutyryl cyclic AMP in the neonates. Hepatic adenylate cyclase activity was augmented by both epinephrine (10(-5) M) and glucagon (10(-5) M), and myocardial cyclase was increased only by epinephrine in tissue obtained from 16, 18, and 20 day fetal rats. Myocardial adenylate cyclase responsiveness to glucagon was present in tissue obtained from rats 4 wk of age and older. It is concluded that in contrast to hepatic adenylate cyclase, myocardial adenylate cyclase in the rat is not responsive to glucagon during gestation and that responsiveness to glucagon and the associated ability of glucagon to deplete myocardial glycogen do not develop until well after birth.