AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 244, Issue 1 24-E30, Copyright © 1983 by American Physiological Society
Development of gluconeogenesis in isolated hepatocytes from the rabbit
L. El Manoubi, S. Callikan, P. H. Duee, P. Ferre and J. Girard
Gluconeogenesis from 10 mM lactate has been studied in isolated hepatocytes
from fetal, newborn, and 70-day-old rabbits. Gluconeogenesis proceeds to a
very low rate in fetal rabbit hepatocytes despite substantial activities of
all gluconeogenic enzymes including mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate
carboxykinase. A tenfold increase in the rate of gluconeogenesis occurs in
hepatocytes from 1- or 2-day-old fasting or suckling newborn rabbits. The
emergence of gluconeogenic capacity in newborn rabbit hepatocytes is
triggered by birth itself and not by a chronological factor, and it is
primarily controlled by an increase in the activity of cytosolic
phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Moreover, an active fatty acid oxidation
is essential to support a high rate of gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes from
newborn rabbits.
