Glucose production in pregnant women at term gestation. Sources of glucose for human fetus.

The effects of pregnancy and diabetes on systemic glucose production rates and the sources of glucose for the human fetus in utero were evaluated in five normal, four gestationally diabetic, and one insulin-dependent diabetic subject undergoing elective caesarean section at term gestation. Five normal nonpregnant women were studied for comparison. Systemic glucose production rates were measured with stable tracer [1-(13)C]glucose according to the prime-constant rate infusion technique. Even though the plasma glucose concentration during normal pregnancy had declined as compared with the nonpregnant subjects (P < 0.0005), the systemic glucose production rate was 16% greater, a rate sufficient to provide the glucose requirement of the fetus at term gestation. The decline in glucose concentration could be the result of an increase in apparent volume of distribution of glucose. Systemic glucose production rates in well-controlled, gestationally diabetic subjects were similar to those in normal pregnant subjects (2.07+/-0.53 vs. 2.42+/-0.51 mg/kg.min). The sources of glucose for the human fetus at term gestation were evaluated by comparing (a) natural variation in (13)C:(12)C ratio of plasma glucose and (b) enriched (13)C:(12)C ratio of plasma glucose during [1-(13)C]glucose infusion in maternal and fetal blood at delivery in both normal and diabetic subjects. These data showed that the fetal glucose pool was in equilibrium with the maternal glucose pool in both normal and diabetic subjects, indicating that a brief maternal fast did not initiate systemic glucose production in human fetus. A materno-fetal gradient was observed for betahydroxybutyrate.