Changes in glucose utilization during development of the lamb

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Abstract
The glucose pool, glucose space and glucose-utilization rate in young lambs and adult sheep were determined by isotope-dilution techniques with [C14]glucose. Both a continuous-infusion procedure and a single-injection technique were used lower values for glucose-utilization rate were obtained by the former method. The glucose-utilization rate for young lambs (about 5 mg. /minute/kg. body weight) was much higher than that for adult sheep (1:3 mg. minute /kg). In the young lamb glucose pool (about 500 mg/kg. body weight) was larger than that of adult sheep (200 mg/kg), and the space which this occupied decreased from values of about 60-70% of body weight in the very young lamb to about 24% of body weight in the adult. These results are discussed in relation to differences in carbohydrate metabolism between young lambs and mature sheep.