Increased cell-mediated cytotoxicity against beta-cells in streptozotocin-treated offspring of mother animals with gestational hyperglycaemia.
The offspring of mother animals with mild gestational hyperglycaemia exhibited basal hyperinsulinism, decreased glucose tolerance and increased susceptibility to streptozotocin diabetes. Following low-dose successive streptozotocin treatment a significantly increased spleen cell cytotoxicity against beta-cells was found in these animals as compared to the offspring of gestational normoglycaemic control mothers. Such increased cell-mediated cytotoxicity, considered as enhanced autoimmune reactivity, was positively correlated to blood glucose levels and negatively correlated to pancreatic insulin contents. Thus, hyperinsulinism, occurring during pre- and neonatal brain organization and produced by gestational hyperglycaemia, is a predisposing teratogenetic risk factor not only for the development of type II, but also of type I diabetes. Thus, it is comprehensible that the prevalence of type I diabetes in children could be decisively reduced by preventing gestational hyperglycaemia in their mothers (Dörner et al., 1985).
Dörner
G
G
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Humboldt University Medical School, Berlin, GDR.
Köhler
E
E
Friedrichs
J
J
Götz
F
F
Rohde
W
W
Kürschner
U
U
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000150:complications*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013311:Streptozocin; D005947:Glucose