Programming of the endocrine pancreas by the early nutritional environment.
A substantial body of evidence now suggests that poor intrauterine milieu elicited by maternal nutritional disturbance or placental insufficiency may programme susceptibility in the foetus to later develop chronic degenerative diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Further data showing the developmental programming of the metabolic syndrome are now available thanks to animal studies in which the foetal environment has been manipulated. This review examines the developmental programming of glucose intolerance by disturbed intrauterine metabolic condition in rats. It focuses on the alteration of the endocrine pancreas at birth. Long-term consequences, deterioration of glucose tolerance and even transgenerational effects are reported. Maternal protein, caloric restriction and diabetes during gestation/lactation lead to altered beta-cell mass. This review also tempts to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in this process.
Reusens
Brigitte
B
Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. reusens@bani.ucl.ac.be
Remacle
Claude
C
D000818:Animals; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000473:pathology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000150:complications; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply