Metabolic changes during pregnancy in glucose ‐intolerant NZO mice: A polygenic model with prediabetic metabolism

The aim of this work was to evaluate metabolic changes during pregnancy within the polygenic NZO mouse model and if it is a suitable one for the human disease. NZO mice showed early alterations in glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion, but no overt diabetes. Interestingly, the preconceptionally impaired glucose tolerance did not deteriorate during gestation despite a proliferation defect of Langerhans islets. AbstractGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complex metabolic disease involving genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies have underlined its heterogeneity, so it is reasonable to divide patients into subpopulations depending on whether an insulin secretion or sensitivity defect is predominant. Since testing for GDM is usually performed in the second trimester, misinterpretation of prediabetes as gestational diabetes may occur. As with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), rodent models are needed for both GDM and prediabetes, but few do exist. Here, we compared the metabolic changes in pregnant normal NMRI mice with those in New Zealand obese (NZO) mice. Male animals of this strain are an established model of T2DM, whereas female mice of this strain are protected from hyperglycemia and β‐cell death. We demonstrate that female NZO mice exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, preconceptional hyperinsulinemia, and hyperglucagonemia without any signs of manifest diabetes. The NZO model showed, compared with the NMRI control strain, a reduced proliferative response of th...
Source: Physiological Reports - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research