Glucose consumption by various tissues in pregnant rats: effects of a 6-day euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp

In the course of pregnancy maternal tissues become increasingly more insensitive to insulin. As 6 days of euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamping, from day 8 until 14 of gestation, ameliorates total glucose consumption, we analysed the contribution of individual tissues in this phenomenon. We measured not only glucose consumption, but also concentrations of the glucose transporter protein GLUT4 in selected tissues. On day 15 of pregnancy in saline‐infused (pregnant control) rats, 18F‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐ D‐glucose (FDG) consumption, as measured by positron emission tomography, as well as GLUT4 content were diminished in heart (P