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The intrauterine metabolic environment modulates the gene expression pattern in fetal rat islets: prevention by maternal taurine supplementation

Reusens, B. ; Sparre, T. ; Kalbe, L. ; Bouckenooghe, T. ; Theys, N. ; Kruhoffer, M. ; Orntoft, T. F. ; Nerup, Jörn LU and Remacle, C. (2008) In Diabetologia 51(5). p.836-845
Abstract
Aims/hypothesis Events during fetal life may in critical time windows programme tissue development leading to organ dysfunction with potentially harmful consequences in adulthood such as diabetes. In rats, the beta cell mass of progeny from dams fed with a low-protein (LP) diet during gestation is decreased at birth and metabolic perturbation lasts through adulthood even though a normal diet is given after birth or after weaning. Maternal and fetal plasma taurine levels are suboptimal. Maternal taurine supplementation prevents these induced abnormalities. In this study, we aimed to reveal changes in gene expression in fetal islets affected by the LP diet and how taurine may prevent these changes. Methods Pregnant Wistar rats were fed an LP... (More)
Aims/hypothesis Events during fetal life may in critical time windows programme tissue development leading to organ dysfunction with potentially harmful consequences in adulthood such as diabetes. In rats, the beta cell mass of progeny from dams fed with a low-protein (LP) diet during gestation is decreased at birth and metabolic perturbation lasts through adulthood even though a normal diet is given after birth or after weaning. Maternal and fetal plasma taurine levels are suboptimal. Maternal taurine supplementation prevents these induced abnormalities. In this study, we aimed to reveal changes in gene expression in fetal islets affected by the LP diet and how taurine may prevent these changes. Methods Pregnant Wistar rats were fed an LP diet (8% [wt/wt] protein) supplemented or not with taurine in the drinking water or a control diet (20% [wt/wt] protein). At 21.5 days of gestation, fetal pancreases were removed, digested and cultured for 7 days. Neoformed islets were collected and transcriptome analysis was performed. Results Maternal LP diet significantly changed the expression of more than 10% of the genes. Tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP production were highly targeted, but so too were cell proliferation and defence. Maternal taurine supplementation normalised the expression of all altered genes. Conclusions/Interpretation Development of the beta cells and particularly their respiration is modulated by the intrauterine environment, which may epigenetically modify expression of the genome and programme the beta cell towards a pre-diabetic phenotype. This mis-programming by maternal LP diet was prevented by early taurine intervention. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
maternal low-protein diet, fetal islets, diabetes, early programming, rats, taurine, transcriptome
in
Diabetologia
volume
51
issue
5
pages
836 - 845
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000254750400020
  • scopus:41849120416
  • pmid:18311556
ISSN
1432-0428
DOI
10.1007/s00125-008-0956-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7253abb3-9ee3-42cc-9dca-ec91255dc070 (old id 1207289)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:54:28
date last changed
2022-03-05 08:14:02
@article{7253abb3-9ee3-42cc-9dca-ec91255dc070,
  abstract     = {{Aims/hypothesis Events during fetal life may in critical time windows programme tissue development leading to organ dysfunction with potentially harmful consequences in adulthood such as diabetes. In rats, the beta cell mass of progeny from dams fed with a low-protein (LP) diet during gestation is decreased at birth and metabolic perturbation lasts through adulthood even though a normal diet is given after birth or after weaning. Maternal and fetal plasma taurine levels are suboptimal. Maternal taurine supplementation prevents these induced abnormalities. In this study, we aimed to reveal changes in gene expression in fetal islets affected by the LP diet and how taurine may prevent these changes. Methods Pregnant Wistar rats were fed an LP diet (8% [wt/wt] protein) supplemented or not with taurine in the drinking water or a control diet (20% [wt/wt] protein). At 21.5 days of gestation, fetal pancreases were removed, digested and cultured for 7 days. Neoformed islets were collected and transcriptome analysis was performed. Results Maternal LP diet significantly changed the expression of more than 10% of the genes. Tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP production were highly targeted, but so too were cell proliferation and defence. Maternal taurine supplementation normalised the expression of all altered genes. Conclusions/Interpretation Development of the beta cells and particularly their respiration is modulated by the intrauterine environment, which may epigenetically modify expression of the genome and programme the beta cell towards a pre-diabetic phenotype. This mis-programming by maternal LP diet was prevented by early taurine intervention.}},
  author       = {{Reusens, B. and Sparre, T. and Kalbe, L. and Bouckenooghe, T. and Theys, N. and Kruhoffer, M. and Orntoft, T. F. and Nerup, Jörn and Remacle, C.}},
  issn         = {{1432-0428}},
  keywords     = {{maternal low-protein diet; fetal islets; diabetes; early programming; rats; taurine; transcriptome}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{836--845}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Diabetologia}},
  title        = {{The intrauterine metabolic environment modulates the gene expression pattern in fetal rat islets: prevention by maternal taurine supplementation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00125-008-0956-5}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00125-008-0956-5}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}