Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Causes Loss of Pancreatic Beta Cell Area but Normal Function in Fetal Rat Offspring.

Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Causes Loss of Pancreatic Beta Cell Area but Normal Function in Fetal Rat Offspring. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2018 Oct 10;: Authors: Akhaphong B, Lockridge A, Jo S, Mohan R, Wilcox JA, Wing CR, Regal JF, Alejandro EU Abstract Maternal hypertension during pregnancy is a major risk factor for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which increases susceptibility to cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood through unclear mechanisms. The aim of this study was to characterize pancreatic beta cell area and function in the fetal rat offspring of reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model of gestational hypertension. At embryonic day 19.5, RUPP dams exhibited lower body weight, elevated mean blood pressure, reduced litter size, and higher blood glucose compared to sham-operated controls. In RUPP placental lysates, non-significant change in mTOR activity markers, phosphorylated S6 at serine 240 and phosphorylated AKT (at S473) was observed. RUPP offspring showed significantly reduced beta cell to pancreas area and increased beta cell death, but normal insulin levels in serum. Isolated islets had normal insulin content and secretory function in response to glucose and palmitate. Fetal pancreatic lysates showed a tendency for reduced insulin levels, with a significant reduction in total mTOR protein with RUPP surgery. In addition, its downstream complex 2 targets phosphorylation o...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol Source Type: research