Metabolism of maltose in perfused rat liver and in isolated hepatocytes

The conversion of¹⁴C-maltose into glucose, lactate and¹⁴ CO₂ was studied in perfused livers from fed and fasted rats and in isolated hepatocytes. Maximal glucose production was 30 mM x g^-1 x h^-1; half-maximal rates were found with 3 mM maltose. About 0.01 % of the radioactivity infused was recovered as¹⁴CO₂. The addition of maltose had no effect on rates of oxygen consumption, lactate production or ketogenesis. The data suggest that maltose did not serve as a major substrate for biosynthetic or energy producing processes under the conditions of the perfused rat liver.