title: Diabetic rats exercised prior to and during pregnancy: maternal reproductive outcome, biochemical profile, and frequency of fetal anomalies.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise prior to or during pregnancy on maternal reproductive outcome, biochemical profile, and on fetal anomaly frequency in a rat pregnancy model utilizing chemically induced diabetes. Wistar rats (minimum n = 11 animals/group) were randomly assigned the following groups: group 1 (G1), sedentary, nondiabetic; G2, nondiabetic, exercised during pregnancy; G3, nondiabetic, exercised prior to and during pregnancy; G4, sedentary, diabetic; G5, diabetic, exercised during pregnancy; and G6, diabetic, exercised prior to and during pregnancy. A swimming program was utilized for moderate exercise. On day 21 of pregnancy, all rats were anesthetized to obtain blood for biochemical measurements. The gravid uterus was weighed with its contents, and the fetuses were analyzed. The nondiabetic rats exercised prior to pregnancy presented a reduced maternal weight gain. Besides, G2 and G3 groups showed decreased fetal weights at term pregnancy, indicating slight intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In the diabetic dams, the swimming program did not have antihyperglycemic effects. The exercise applied only during pregnancy caused severe IUGR, as confirmed by reduced fetal weight mean, fetal weight classification, and ossification sites. Nevertheless, exercise was not a teratogenic factor and improved the rats' lipid profiles, demonstrating that the exercise presented possible benefits, but there are also risks prior and during pregnancy, especially in diabetic pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Research on Gynecology and Obstetrics, Botucatu Medical School, Univ. Estadual Paulista Unesp, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. gtvolpato@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Débora Cristina
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Damasceno
authors.forename: Hellen Pontes
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Geizi Fátima
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: Francine Aparecida
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Vasques-Silva
authors.forename: Iracema Mattos Paranhos
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Calderon
authors.forename: Marilza Vieira Cunha
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rudge
authors.forename: Kleber Eduardo
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Gustavo Tadeu
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Volpato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose