Sex-dependent Effect of In-utero Exposure to ΔTetrahydrocannabinol on Glucagon and Stathmin-2 in Adult Rat Offspring.

Objectives: Administration of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) to pregnant rats results in glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and reduced islet mass in female, but not male, offspring. The effects of Δ-THC on other islet hormones is not known. One downstream target of the cannabinoid receptor, stathmin-2 (Stmn2), has recently been shown to suppress glucagon secretion, thereby suggesting Δ-THC may also affect alpha-cell function.

Addition of olive oil to diet of rats with mild pre-gestational diabetes impacts offspring β-cell development.

Maternal diabetes impairs fetal development and increases the risk of metabolic diseases in the offspring. Previously, we demonstrated that maternal dietary supplementation with 6% of olive oil prevents diabetes-induced embryo and fetal defects, in part, through the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). In this study, we examined the effects of this diet on neonatal and adult pancreatic development in male and female offspring of mothers affected with pre-gestational diabetes.