Metabolic and Hormonal Response to Chronic Maternal Fasting in the Ewe

The purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolic adaptations of the fetus during maternal starvation and to determine the changes of plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations in the fed state and during severe maternal fasting in the chronic fetal sheep preparation. Maternal fasting resulted in a decrease in maternal and fetal plasma glucose as well as a decrease in fetal plasma fructose. Fetal-maternal arterial urea concentration differences increased with maternal fasting, suggesting increased fetal amino acid catabolism. Both maternal anf fetal plasma insulin decreased parallel to the decrease in plasma glucose concentration. Maternal glucagon did not change significantly during fasting and with a short-term fast there was no change in fetal glucagon concentration. However, by 6 days of fasting, the fetal glucagon concentration tended to increase.