title: Alterations in rat pancreatic B-cell function induced by prenatal exposure to cyproheptadine.
abstract: Treatment of pregnant rats with cyproheptadine during the last 8 days of gestation produced alterations in the function of the endocrine pancreas in the offspring. The abnormalities exhibited by 50-day-old progeny of drug-treated dams included glucose intolerance, a two-fold increase in levels of insulin in the pancreas, and an accentuated response to the insulin-lowering action of cyproheptadine in the endocrine pancreas. The alterations observed in these animals were limited to the insulin-containing cells, and no change was found in the pancreatic concentrations of glucagon and somatostatin. The results are the first to demonstrate that postnatal pancreatic B-cell function can be selectively altered by prenatal exposure to an exogenous chemical.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003533:Cyproheptadine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D003533:Cyproheptadine