Increased susceptibility to streptozotocin and impeded regeneration capacity of beta-cells in adult offspring of malnourished rats.

Background: Epidemiological studies related poor maternal nutrition and subsequent growth retardation in the progeny to the development of diabetes later in life. Low-protein diet during gestation altered the beta-cell development of the rat progeny by decreasing beta-cell proliferation and increasing their sensitivity to nitric oxide and cytokines in the foetus. This disturbed maternal environment had long-lasting consequences because the higher beta-cell vulnerability was maintained at adulthood.

Impairment of rat fetal beta-cell development by maternal exposure to dexamethasone during different time-windows.

Aim: Glucocorticoids (GCs) take part in the direct control of cell lineage during the late phase of pancreas development when endocrine and exocrine cell differentiation occurs. However, other tissues such as the vasculature exert a critical role before that phase. This study aims to investigate the consequences of overexposure to exogenous glucocorticoids during different time-windows of gestation for the development of the fetal endocrine pancreas.

Alteration of mitochondrial function in adult rat offspring of malnourished dams.

Under-nutrition as well as over-nutrition during pregnancy has been associated with the development of adult diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Both epigenetic modifications and programming of the mitochondrial function have been recently proposed to explain how altered intrauterine metabolic environment may produce such a phenotype. This review aims to report data reported in several animal models of fetal malnutrition due to maternal low protein or low calorie diet, high fat diet as well as reduction in placental blood flow.