Xylose, Glucose, and Glucuronic Acid Conjugation of Bilirubin in the Newborn Rat

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Abstract
Extract: The development and relative contribution of hepatic bilirubin conjugation with glucuronic acid, xylose, and glucose was studied in vitro in newborn rats 1–20 days old. In adult control rats, 75% of the conjugates formed were with glucuronic acid, whereas in 1-day-old newborns, only 50% of the conjugates were with glucuronic acid (Pday 4, total conjugating capacity increased to adult levels and a mature pattern of distribution. In response to phenobarbital treatment, xylose and glucose conjugation increased 4 days earlier than glucuronide conjugation and maximal induction occurred 8 days sooner for nonglucuronide conjugation than for glucuronide. Speculation: The pattern of enzyme maturation and relative activities of the various bilirubin conjugating systems in newborn rats cannot be extrapolated to those in the human, but this study suggests that a similar study in the human or subhuman primate might demonstrate that glucose and xylose conjugation compensate, in part, for deficient glucuronide conjugation.

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