Regulation of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity during the foetal-neonatal transition.

Overt carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT1) activity was measured in liver mitochondria from foetal rats (21 days gestation) and from neonatal rats (1 day post-partum). Birth was accompanied by a 6-fold increase in CPT1 activity, a 14-fold decrease in sensitivity to inhibition by malonyl CoA and an increase in the nH and the S0.5 for palmitoyl CoA. The activity of latent enzyme (CPT2) was unaffected at birth.