Severe Uncontrolled Maternal Hyperglycemia Induces Microsomia and Neurodevelopment Delay Accompanied by Apoptosis, Cellular Survival, and Neuroinflammatory Deregulation in Rat Offspring Hippocampus

Maternal diabetes constitutes an unfavorable intrauterine environment for offspring development. Although it is known that diabetes can cause brain alterations and increased risk for neurologic disorders, the relationship between neuroimmune activation, brain changes, and neurodevelopment deficits in the offspring remains unclear. In order to elucidate the short- and long-term biological basis of the developmental outcomes caused by the severe uncontrolled maternal hyperglycemia, we studied apoptosis, neurogenesis, and neuroinflammation pathways in the hippocampus of neonates and young rats born to diabetic dams. Diabetes was induced on gestational day 5 by an injection of streptozotocin. Evaluations of milestones, body growth, and inhibitory avoidance were performed to monitor the offspring development and behavior. Hippocampal modifications were studied through cellular survival by BrdU in the dentate gyrus, expression of apoptosis-regulatory proteins (procaspase 3, caspase 3, and Bcl-2), BDNF, and neuroinflammatory modulation by interleukins, MHC-I, MHC-II, Iba-1, and GFAP proteins. Severe maternal diabetes caused microsomia and neurodevelopmental delay in pups and decrease of Bcl-2, procaspase 3, and caspase 3 in the hippocampus. Moreover, in a later stage of development, it was found an increase of TNF-α and a decrease of procaspase 3, caspase 3, MHC-I, IL-1β, and BDNF in the hippocampus, as well as impairment in cellular survival in the dentate gyrus. This study showed significant short- and long-term commitments on the development, apoptosis, cell survival, and neuroinflammation in the offspring hippocampus induced by severe uncontrolled maternal hyperglycemia. The data reinforce the need for treatment of maternal hyperglycemic states during pregnancy and breast-feeding.