Steady state glucose kinetics and their relation to plasma glucose concentration in the premature and full term neonatal piglet.

Steady state glucose kinetics were measured in 19 premature and 16 full-term piglets. Bodyweight, plasma glucose concentration, total body glucose turnover rate, and glucose pool size were not significantly different between the two groups. This suggests that the premature piglet is capable of maintaining glucose homeostasis during the first 24 h of life. Although there appeared to be a correlation between glucose turnover and plasma glucose concentration, analysis of covariance showed that it was spurious, suggesting that glucose utilization proceeds independently of the glucose concentration in plasma. Glucose turnover rate in the premature piglet is closely comparable with that reported in the premature human infant. These findings encourage the use of the neonatal piglet as an animal model for the study of the problems of the neonatal human.