Maternal Dietary Glucose Modifies Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (PEPCK) Gene Expression in the Kidney of Newborn Rats

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 231; no. 1; pp. 187 - 190
• Main Authors: Liu, Xu-jing, Koski, K.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 03.02.1997
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Glucose - administration & dosage; Kidney - enzymology; Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) - genetics; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rats; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1997.6071

The consequence of low maternal dietary glucose on perinatal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK EC 4.1.32) gene expression was investigated. Pregnant rats were fed isoenergetic diets containing graded levels of glucose (0, 12, 24, and 60%) from gestation day 2 to lactation day 15. The postnatal developmental profile of PEPCK mRNA in the neonatal kidney was analysed by Northern blot and presented as PEPCK/GAPDH mRNA ratios. In comparison with the 24 and 60% dietary groups, maternal dietary glucose restriction (0 or 12%) during pregnancy resulted in a significant delay in postnatal renal PEPCK gene expression. In these glucose restricted pups, renal PEPCK mRNA was barely detected at birth and was fully visualized only at 4-6 hr; it peaked 24 hr after birth, which was 12 hr later than pups born to dams fed 24 or 60% glucose diets. These results demonstrate for the first time that maternal dietary glucose can modify postnatal renal PEPCK gene expression during perinatal development when glucose homeostasis via gluconeogenesis is critical for neonatal survival.