Effects of bilirubin loading of pregnant rats on hepatic UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity in the offspring.

Pregnant Wistar rats were loaded with bilirubin (intraperitoneal injections) during the last week before term. This resulted in increased serum bilirubin levels in both the mothers and their offspring at birth. In contrast to previous reports [1–3] no increase in bilirubin glucuronyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) activity was found in liver homogenates from the newborn rats and their mothers despite the increased level of substrate in serum.