Postnatal development in rat offspring delivered of dams with gestational hyperglycemia.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to test the hypotheses that (1) offspring delivered of dams with gestational hyperglycemia will show metabolic abnormalities and (2) dams with repeated pregnancy but without lactation experience will demonstrate abnormal glucose metabolism long after the delivery of the third litter.


METHODS
Female rats went through three cycles of gestation-lactation, gestation-nonlactation, or no mating at all. The offspring were reared to 3 months of age, when half of each group were mated. Intravenous glucose tolerance testing was conducted at different times in dams and adult offspring.


RESULTS
Nonlactation dams showed gestational hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia during the third pregnancy. Impaired intravenous glucose tolerance testing was also apparent 1 week and 3 months after weaning in dams. Adult offspring nursed by nonlactation dams were glucose intolerant and had higher hepatic gluconeogenic enzyme activities and higher lipid levels in the pregnant state.


CONCLUSIONS
Gestational hyperglycemia produced by repeated gestation without lactation could have a long-lasting effect on adult offspring.
Zhong
S
S
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
Dunbar
J C
JC
Jen
K L
KL
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005943:Gluconeogenesis; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000209:etiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007774:Lactation; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D002395:Catecholamines; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D005947:Glucose