Maternal exposure to diets containing flaxseed flour or flaxseed oil during pregnancy and lactation protects the aortic remodeling in adult male offspring of diabetic rat dams

Environmental stressors that encounter in early-life and cause abnormal fetal and/or neonatal development may increase susceptibility to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. Maternal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with various fetal abnormalities, suggesting that it may program offspring’s susceptibility to diabetes. In the present study, we therefore examined whether maternal exposure to diesel exhaust PM2.5 (DEP), one of the major sources of ambient PM2.5 in urban areas, programs adult offspring’s glucose metabolism. Female C57Bl/6J mice were intratracheally instilled with DEP or vehicle throughout a 7-wk preconceptional period, gestation, and lactation, and the glucose homeostasis of their adult male offspring was assessed. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) revealed that the maternal exposure to DEP significantly impaired adult male offspring’s glucose tolerance. Unexpectedly, it did not influence their insulin sensitivity, whereas it significantly decreased their glucose-induced insulin secretion (GIIS). This deficit in insulin secretion was corroborated by their significant decrease in arginine-induced insulin secretion. Histological analysis demonstrated that the deficit in insulin secretion was accompanied by the decrease in pancreatic islet and β cell sizes. To differentiate the effects of maternal exposure to DEP before birth and during lactation, some offspring were cross-fostered once born. We did not observe any significant effect of cross-fostering on the glucose homeostasis of adult male offspring and the function and morphology of their β cells. Prenatal exposure to DEP programs the morphology and function of β cells and thus homeostatic regulation of glucose metabolism in adult male offspring.

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Maternal Exposure to the Synthetic Cannabinoid HU-210: Effects on the Endocrine and Immune Systems of the Adult Male Offspring

NeuroImmunoModulation ◽

10.1159/000026416 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 16-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Ignacio del Arco ◽

Raúl Muñoz ◽

Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca ◽

Leticia Escudero ◽

Jose Luis Martín-Calderón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adult Male ◽

Maternal Exposure ◽

Synthetic Cannabinoid ◽

Male Offspring ◽

Immune Systems

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Effects of Maternal Flaxseed Supplementation on Female Offspring of Diabetic Rats in Serum Concentration of Glucose, Insulin, and Thyroid Hormones

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000259 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 89 (1-2) ◽

pp. 45-54

Author(s):

Akemi Suzuki ◽

André Manoel Correia-Santos ◽

Gabriela Câmara Vicente ◽

Luiz Guillermo Coca Velarde ◽

Gilson Teles Boaventura

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Hormones ◽

High Fat Diet ◽

Female Offspring ◽

Flaxseed Oil ◽

Diabetic Rats ◽

High Fat ◽

Glucose Levels ◽

Blood Glucose Levels ◽

Flaxseed Flour ◽

Maternal Consumption

Abstract. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal consumption of flaxseed flour and oil on serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, and thyroid hormones of the adult female offspring of diabetic rats. Methods: Wistar rats were induced to diabetes by a high-fat diet (60%) and streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). Rats were mated and once pregnancy was confirmed, were divided into the following groups: Control Group (CG): casein-based diet; High-fat Group (HG): high-fat diet (49%); High-fat Flaxseed Group (HFG): high-fat diet supplemented with 25% flaxseed flour; High-fat Flaxseed Oil group (HOG): high-fat diet, where soya oil was replaced with flaxseed oil. After weaning, female pups (n = 6) from each group were separated, received a commercial rat diet and were sacrificed after 180 days. Serum insulin concentrations were determined by ELISA, the levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined by chemiluminescence. Results: There was a significant reduction in body weight at weaning in HG (−31%), HFG (−33%) and HOG (44%) compared to CG (p = 0.002), which became similar by the end of 180 days. Blood glucose levels were reduced in HFG (−10%, p = 0.044) when compared to CG, and there was no significant difference between groups in relation to insulin, T3, T4, and TSH after 180 days. Conclusions: Maternal severe hyperglycemia during pregnancy and lactation resulted in a microsomal offspring. Maternal consumption of flaxseed reduces blood glucose levels in adult offspring without significant effects on insulin levels and thyroid hormones.

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