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Horm Metab Res 2010; 42(11): 792-797
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1262826
Original Basic

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Effect of Maternal Hypothyroidism on the Carbohydrate Metabolism and Insulin Secretion of Isolated Islets in Adult Male Offspring of Rats

H. Farahani1 , A. Ghasemi2 , M. Roghani3 , S. Zahediasl2
  • 1Department of Physiology, The Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 2Endocrine Physiology Laboratory of Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 3Department of Physiology, The Medical School, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
Further Information

Publication History

received 17.02.2010

accepted 06.07.2010

Publication Date:
20 August 2010 (online)

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Abstract

Thyroid hormones have crucial developmental effect during fetal life. This study investigates the effects of maternal hypothyroidism on the carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion capacity of islets of the adult male offspring of rats. One group of pregnant mothers (fetal hypothyroid) of Wistar rats drank water containing 0.02% of 6-propyl-2-thiouracil during pregnancy, while the control group consumed only tap water. After delivery, survival and weight of the neonates from both groups were followed. In adult male offspring, the intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed and 5–6 weeks later, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of isolated islets was assessed. Plasma glucose concentration of the fetal hypothyroid group during intravenous glucose tolerance test was significantly higher (p=0.003) at 5–20 min as compared to the control group, whereas plasma insulin concentration was significantly lower (p=0.012) at 5–20 min. Insulin secretion of the isolated islets stimulated with 16 mM glucose of the offspring in the fetal hypothyroid group (376.2±57.1 pmol/islet/60 min) was significantly lower (p=0.02) as compared to the control group (618.1±85.2). Although adult offspring born from hypothyroid mothers were euthyroid, their glucose tolerance and glucose stimulated insulin secretion of islets were altered, which may eventually contribute to the development of diabetes.

Key words

intrauterine growth retardation - fetal hypothyroidism - plasma glucose - adulthood

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Correspondence

Dr. S. ZahediaslPhD 

Professor of Endocrine

Physiology

Endocrine Research Center

Research Institute for Endocrine

Sciences

Shahid Beheshti University of

Medical Sciences

P.O. Box: 19395-4763 Tehran

Iran

Phone: +98/21/2243 2500

Fax: +98/21/2240 2463

Email: zahedi@endocrine.ac.ir

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