Impaired oxidative phosphorylation in hepatic mitochondria in growth-retarded rats.

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes in adulthood. We have developed an IUGR model in the rat whereby the animals develop diabetes between 3 and 6 mo of age that is associated with insulin resistance. Alterations in hepatic glucose metabolism are known to contribute to the hyperglycemia of diabetes; however, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been fully explained.