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Increased Apoptosis in Subcortical Regions of The Visual Pathway in Offspring Born to Diabetic Rats
Nasim Alipour1, Somaye Fallahnezhad2,3, Javad Bagheri1
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Insights
Maternal diabetes increases fetal brain cell death in the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate nucleus. Insulin treatment in diabetic mothers prevented this increased neuronal apoptosis in male neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Diabetes in pregnancy poses risks to fetal development, particularly the central nervous system, due to hyperglycemia.
- Maternal hyperglycemia can lead to adverse outcomes in fetal brain development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of maternal diabetes on neuronal apoptosis in the superior colliculus (SC) and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of male neonates.
- To assess if insulin treatment can mitigate these effects.
Main Methods:
- Experimental study using a rat model with three groups: control, diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic.
- Apoptotic cells in the SC and dLGN of male neonates were quantified using TUNEL staining at postnatal days 0, 7, and 14.
Main Results:
- Neonates from diabetic mothers exhibited significantly higher numbers of apoptotic cells in the SC and dLGN compared to controls.
- Apoptotic cell density was elevated at all assessed time points (P0, P7, P14).
- Insulin treatment in diabetic mothers normalized the apoptotic cell counts in the offspring.
Conclusions:
- Maternal diabetes significantly increases neuronal apoptosis in the SC and dLGN of male neonates.
- These findings highlight the detrimental impact of uncontrolled maternal diabetes on fetal brain development.
- Insulin therapy during pregnancy can protect the developing brain from diabetes-induced apoptosis.
Objective:
Diabetes in pregnancy is a prevalent disease that can affect the central nervous system of the fetus by hyperglycemia. This study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal diabetes on neuronal apoptosis in the superior colliculus (SC) and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in male neonates born to diabetic mothers.
Materials And Methods:
In this experimental study, female adult rats were separated into three groups: control, diabetic (induced using an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin), and insulin-treated diabetic [diabetes controlled by subcutaneous neutral protamine hagedorn (NPH)-insulin injection]. Male neonates from each group were euthanized on 0, 7, and 14 postnatal days (P0, P7, and P14, respectively), and apoptotic cells were identified using TUNEL staining.
Results:
The numerical density per unit area (NA) of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in SC and the dorsal LGN (dLGN) in neonates born to the diabetic rats compared to the control group at P0, P7, and P14. However, insulin treatment normalized the number of apoptotic cells.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated that maternal diabetes increased apoptosis in dLGN and SC of male neonates at P0, P7, and P14.
