[In vivo study of lipogenesis and glycogen synthesis in fetal tissues of the rat. Effect of dexamethasone].

Foetal rat liver lipogenesis in vivo decreased during the last two days of gestation. Whereas glycogen synthesis of the same tissue had increased between 20-21 days and sharply decreased during the last day. Treatment with dexamethasone increased glycogen synthesis and decreased lipid synthesis at the same time. Conversely, foetal rat lung lipogenesis increased and glycogen synthesis decreased during the last two days of gestation. Treatment with dexamethasone decreased both the rates of lipogenesis and the glycogen synthesis in the same observation period.