title: Pregestational Obesity-Induced Embryopathy.
abstract: Several epidemiologic studies in humans have shown a relationship between pregestational obesity and congenital malformations in offsprings. However, there are no experimental evidence in animal models of obesity and pregnancy that reproduce the teratogenesis induced by this pathological condition.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the effect of monosodium glutamate-induced obesity on embryonic development.
  
  
  
  Female rats received subcutaneously (4 mg/g body weight) monosodium glutamate (MSG) solution or saline solution 0.9% (vehicle control) at days 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 of life. At 90 days of age, all animals were mated, and on day 11 of pregnancy, the animals were killed. Biochemical variables (glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and insulin) were determined in plasma of dams and embryo homogenates (DNA and protein content, advanced oxidation protein products). Embryos were evaluated for malformations, crown-rump length, and somite number.
  
  
  
  Obese rats presented higher triglyceride levels as compared to nonobese rats. Increased proportion of malformed embryos, decreased crown-rump length, somite number, DNA, and protein content were observed in offspring of obese rats.
  
  
  
  The model of obesity induced with MSG reproduces the maternal obesity-induced teratogenesis. The hypertriglyceridemia observed in MSG obese pregnant rats could be related to increased birth defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic and Pre-clinical Sciences, "Victoria de Girón," Havana Medical Sciences University, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Gipsis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suárez-Román
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic and Pre-clinical Sciences, "Victoria de Girón," Havana Medical Sciences University, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fernández-Romero
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Basic Sciences, Matanzas Medical Sciences University, Matanzas, Cuba.
authors.forename: Alfredo J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Perera-Calderín
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Havana Medical Sciences University, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Víctor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Sosa
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Endocrinology, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic and Pre-clinical Sciences, "Victoria de Girón," Havana Medical Sciences University, Havana, Cuba sclapes@infomed.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Sonia Clapés
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D018568:Crown-Rump Length; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000633:toxicity; D019170:Somites / Q000473:pathology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D012970:Sodium Glutamate
keywords: congenital malformations; embryo development; pregestational obesity