Perinatal changes of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in the rat liver.

In order to investigate a possible regulatory role of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate in early developmental stages, where profound changes in the carbohydrate metabolism are known to occur, this effector was estimated in fetal and postnatal rat liver. Polyphasic changes of the hepatic fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels were found, which could be correlated to alterations in the glucose metabolism. A minimum in the hepatic fructose 2,6-bisphosphate level at the -3rd day coincides with the initiation of glycogen synthesis and its increase two hours after birth concurs with glycogen mobilization.