Estrogen Control of Uterine Carbohydrate Metabolism: Factors Affecting Glucose Utilization

Abstract

The mechanisms by which estradiol-17[beta] controls uterine glucose metabolism have been further characterized by altering the rate of glucose uptake and the concentration of electron acceptors under in vitro incubation conditions. Results indicate that early estrogen effects on glucose metabolism are manifest via alterations in the rate of glucose transport into uterine tissue slices. Later estrogen effects on glucose metabolism are probably the result of increased availability of NADP+ and eventually elevated glucose-6-phosphate: NADP oxidoreductast activity. The rate of incorporation of C14 into total uterine lipids from glucose-l-C14 glucose-6-C14 and pyruvate-3-C14 increases linearly as a function of time after estradiol injection. Dissimilar changes in the total activity of several dehydrogenases occur in the uterus of the ovariectomized rat 12 hr. after a single injection of estradiol.