title: Short-term exercise training early in life restores deficits in pancreatic β-cell mass associated with growth restriction in adult male rats.
abstract: Fetal growth restriction is associated with reduced pancreatic β-cell mass, contributing to impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes. Exercise training increases β-cell mass in animals with diabetes and has long-lasting metabolic benefits in rodents and humans. We studied the effect of exercise training on islet and β-cell morphology and plasma insulin and glucose, following an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) in juvenile and adult male Wistar-Kyoto rats born small. Bilateral uterine vessel ligation performed on day 18 of pregnancy resulted in Restricted offspring born small compared with sham-operated Controls and also sham-operated Reduced litter offspring that had their litter size reduced to five pups at birth. Restricted, Control, and Reduced litter offspring remained sedentary or underwent treadmill running from 5 to 9 or 20 to 24 wk of age. Early life exercise increased relative islet surface area and β-cell mass across all groups at 9 wk, partially restoring the 60-68% deficit (P < 0.05) in Restricted offspring. Remarkably, despite no further exercise training after 9 wk, β-cell mass was restored in Restricted at 24 wk, while sedentary littermates retained a 45% deficit (P = 0.05) in relative β-cell mass. Later exercise training also restored Restricted β-cell mass to Control levels. In conclusion, early life exercise training in rats born small restored β-cell mass in adulthood and may have beneficial consequences for later metabolic health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Rhianna C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Laker
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wlodek
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Siebel
authors.forename: Glenn D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wadley
authors.forename: Glenn K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: McConell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002452:Cell Count; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013997:Time Factors