Submitted on September 7, 2006
Accepted on March 20, 2007
Rat maternal diabetes impairs pancreatic beta cell function in the offspring
Junying Han1, Jianxiang Xu, Yun Shi Long1, paul N epstein2, and Ye Qi Liu1*
1 Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
2 Pediatrics, University of Louisville, louisville, Kentucky, United States
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yqliu001{at}gwise.louisville.edu.
It has been shown that maternal diabetes increases the risk for obesity, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in the adult life of the offspring. Mechanisms for these effects on the offspring are not well understood and little information is available to reveal the mechanisms. We studied the effect of maternal diabetes on beta cell function in the offspring of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rat mothers (STZ-offspring). STZ-offspring did not become glucose intolerant up to 15 weeks of age. At this age, however, insulin secretion was significantly impaired as measured by in vivo and in vitro studies. Consistent with these changes, islet glucose metabolism and some important glucose metabolic enzyme activities were reduced. No significant changes were found in islet morphological analysis. These data indicate that beta cell function is impaired in adult STZ-offspring; these changes may contribute to the development of NIDDM in adulthood.
