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Maternal diabetes mellitus - early consequences for the offspring

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Abstract

Although several studies have focused on the effects of nutritional status during intrauterine development, few have addressed the impact of maternal diabetes mellitus on renal function and morphology in the young offspring. In the present study, renal morpho-functional aspects were studied in the offspring of diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in female rats with a single dose of streptozotocyn (STZ), 10 days before mating. After weaning, the offspring (DO) had free access to food and water. Arterial blood pressure was measured, by tail plethysmography, from 2 months on. Renal function was evaluated in 2- and 3-month-old rats in the DO group and in controls (C). Analysis of renal morphology was carried out in newborn and in 1-, 2- and 3-month-old rats in both groups. Although the nephron number was not changed in the DO group, glomerular hypertrophy was observed from 2 months on. At the same age, the glomerular filtration rate was significantly reduced in DO, and blood pressure was significantly increased, when compared to C. Glucose tolerance test (GTT) from DO showed a different profile when compared to C. The number of PCNA positive cells in renal tissue was similar in both groups. Our data suggests that exposure to intrauterine diabetes may be an important cause of both impaired renal function and hypertension in offspring, without changes in the nephron number.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 862 - 5° andar, São Paulo - S.P., 04023-900, Brazil

    Amanda Magaton, Frida Zaladek Gil, Maria de Fatima Cavanal & Guiomar Nascimento Gomes

  2. Discipline of Nephrology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Dulce Elena Casarini

Authors
  1. Amanda Magaton
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  2. Frida Zaladek Gil
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  3. Dulce Elena Casarini
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  4. Maria de Fatima Cavanal
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  5. Guiomar Nascimento Gomes
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Correspondence to Guiomar Nascimento Gomes.

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Magaton, A., Gil, F.Z., Casarini, D.E. et al. Maternal diabetes mellitus - early consequences for the offspring. Pediatr Nephrol 22, 37–43 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-006-0282-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-006-0282-4

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