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Enzymatic Development of the Human Fetus: Glucose‐6‐Phosphate Dehydrogenase in the Liver and Red Cells of the Human Fetus
Author(s) -
Mino Makoto,
Takeuchi Toru,
Takai Toshio
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1967.tb02137.x
Subject(s) - fetus , dehydrogenase , glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase , enzyme , enzyme assay , medicine , endocrinology , liver enzyme , biochemistry , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Summary The studies were undertaken to examine changes in glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity during development of human fetal liver and red cells. In the liver, high activity of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase was observed through 6 months of gestation. Thereafter, the activity promptly decreased and remained in the range of the adult level. In the red cells, the highest level of enzyme activity was observed during the earliest fetal life. However, the activity of the enzyme in fetal liver was found to be about a thousand times greater than that of the fetal red cells. Accordingly, the high level of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the human phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the human fetal liver may not be a consequence only of contamination by the erythrocyte enzyme.