Diabetes produced in mice by smoked/cured mutton

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Environmental Health
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Circumstantial evidence links type 1 diabetes in young Icelandic males to parental consumption of smoked cured mutton.
• Smoked cured mutton contains N-nitroso compounds, potential environmental etiological factors for diabetes mellitus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hypothesis of a causal link between parental consumption of smoked cured mutton and type 1 diabetes in offspring.
• To examine the effects of N-nitroso compounds in mutton on diabetes development in a mouse model.

Main Methods:

• CD1 mice parents were fed smoked cured mutton before mating and during pregnancy.
• Offspring consumed mutton from day 19 until 1-5 weeks post-study.
• Plasma glucose levels and pancreatic beta-cell morphology were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Diabetes developed in 16.3% of male and 4.2% of female progeny exposed to mutton.
• Pancreatic beta-cells showed stages of cell death (apoptosis).
• Offspring exhibited altered plasma glucose levels, with males showing a rise and females a fall after specific exposure periods.

Conclusions:

• An environmental factor, specifically smoked cured mutton, may contribute to the etiology of type 1 diabetes.
• Parental exposure to N-nitroso compounds in mutton can influence offspring diabetes risk.
• The mechanism involves parental and germ cell influences, suggesting transgenerational effects.