Abstract
BACKGROUND
Maternal diabetes exposes embryos to periods of hyperglycemia. Glucose is important for normal cardiogenesis, and Glutβ1 is the predominant glucose transporter in the embryo.
METHODS
Pregnant mice were exposed to 6 or 12 hr hyperglycemia during organogenesis using intraperitoneal (IP) injections of Dβglucose on gestational day (GD) 9.5 (plug = GD 0.5). Embryos were examined for morphology and total cardiac protein, and embryonic hearts were evaluated for Glutβ1 protein and mRNA expression immediately after treatment (GD 9.75, GD 10.0), as well as on GD 10.5 and GD 12.5.
RESULTS
IP glucose injections were effective in producing sustained maternal hyperglycemia. Maternal hyperglycemia for 6 or 12 hr on GD 9.5, followed by normoglycemia, produced a decrease in overall size and total cardiac protein in embryos evaluated on GD 10.5 but no difference on GD 12.5. Cardiac Glutβ1 expression was immediately upregulated in embryos exposed to 6 or 12 hr maternal hyperglycemia. On GD 10.5, cardiac Glutβ1 expression was not different in embryos exposed to maternal hyperglycemia for 6 hr but was downregulated in embryos exposed for 12 hr. On GD 12.5, cardiac Glutβ1 expression in embryos exposed to maternal hyperglycemia on GD 9.5 for 6 or 12 hr, followed by normoglycemia, was not different from controls. The temporal pattern was the same for Glutβ1 protein and mRNA expression.
CONCLUSIONS
Hyperglycemiaβinduced alterations in Glutβ1 expression likely interfere with balance of glucose available to the embryonic heart that may affect cardiac morphogenesis. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2004. Β© 2004 WileyβLiss, Inc.