Effect of diabetes on skin and brown fat of rat macrosomic fetuses: Histological and histochemical study

Abstract

Fetal macrosomia is one of the major clinical problems that carry health hazards for both mother and fetus. Diabetic mothers with mild hyperglycemia or gestational diabetes are at a high risk of having macrosomic babies. This study aimed to describe the cellular changes of skin and brown fat of macroscomic fetuses born to mildly diabetic rats. This experimental study used 36 adult female rats divided into control (n=12) and experimental (n=24) groups. The latter were injected intra-peritoneally with Alloxan (100 mg/kg) and animals with blood glucose (130-250) mg/mL (n=16) were designated as diabetic and were housed with known fertile males. On day 21 of gestation, pregnant females were sacrificed and fetuses were weighted and processed for histological and histochemical examination. A significant increase in body weight of macrosomic fetuses born to diabetic mothers (6.6±0.37) was recorded. Mean dermal thickness (7.9±0.2) and brown fat mass (451.8±11.2) were significantly increased (p=0.004 and p=0.04) in macrosomic fetuses. Brown fat adipocytes showed earlier transformation into white fat adiopocytes. Lipid and polysaccharide accumulation as well as significant cell proliferation were observed in both tissues of macrosomic fetuses. Increased thickness of skin and mass of fat brown fat of macrosomic fetuses of mild diabetic rats could be attributed to increased deposition of polysaccharides and lipids as well proliferation of their cells.