Placental enzymes of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis in the diabetic rat and in starvation. Comparison with maternal and foetal liver.

The activity of several regulatory enzymes representing the pathways of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, NADPH generation and lipogenesis was measured in rat placenta maternal and foetal livers on the 20th day of gestation. Streptozotocin diabetes, induced on the 12th day of gestation, or 48 h of fasting did not induce adaptive changes in the activity of placental enzymes while producing a typical insulin deficiency pattern in maternal liver. Foetal liver enzyme activities were unaffected by fasting and in diabetes showed changes suggestive of foetal hyperinsulinaemia. A small increase was observed in the activity of placental pyruvate kinase and a small decrease in that of PEP carboxylase in diabetic and in glucocorticoid-treated rats; these changes were reciprocal to those in the maternal liver and were attributed to hyperglycaemia, as was the increase in placental glycogen. Lack of response to insulin deficiency and to other endocrine alterations indicates that placenta is not sensitive to stimuli which induce adaptive alterations in hepatic enzymes. The only consistent change found in placental enzyme activities was a decrease associated with gestational age.