Biomaterial Database

The role of insulin in fetal growth. 1992

A L Fowden

Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge, UK.

Disturbances in fetal insulin secretion are associated with abnormalities in fetal growth in a variety of species: excessive insulin secretion can lead to fetal macrosomia while fetal hypoinsulinaemia invariably causes fetal growth retardation. Fetal insulin deficiency caused by pancreatectomy (PX) of the sheep fetus leads to reduced body weight, crown-rump length and limb lengths at delivery near term. The growth rate in utero fell by 40-50% after PX and could be restored to normal values by insulin replacement treatment. These changes in growth were accompanied by reductions of 30-40% in the rates of umbilical uptake, utilization and oxidation of glucose by the sheep fetus. Insulin is therefore a physiological regulator of fetal growth and acts in part by stimulating the cellular uptake of glucose and its preferential use for oxidative metabolism in the fetal tissues.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007328	Insulin	A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1).	Iletin,Insulin A Chain,Insulin B Chain,Insulin, Regular,Novolin,Sodium Insulin,Soluble Insulin,Chain, Insulin B,Insulin, Sodium,Insulin, Soluble,Regular Insulin
D005314	Embryonic and Fetal Development	Morphological and physiological development of EMBRYOS or FETUSES.	Embryo and Fetal Development,Prenatal Programming,Programming, Prenatal
D005333	Fetus	The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal
D000078790	Insulin Secretion	Production and release of insulin from PANCREATIC BETA CELLS that primarily occurs in response to elevated BLOOD GLUCOSE levels.	Secretion, Insulin
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia