Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2
Nervous System Stem Cell Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
3
Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
4
Department of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, School of Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
5
Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
6
Medical Genetic Research Center (MGRC), School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Diabetes in pregnancy is a prevalent disease that can affect the central nervous system of the fetus by
hyperglycemia. This study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal diabetes on neuronal apoptosis in the superior
colliculus (SC) and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in male neonates born to diabetic mothers.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, female adult rats were separated into three groups: control,
diabetic (induced using an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin), and insulin-treated diabetic [diabetes controlled
by subcutaneous neutral protamine hagedorn (NPH)-insulin injection]. Male neonates from each group were euthanized
on 0, 7, and 14 postnatal days (P0, P7, and P14, respectively), and apoptotic cells were identified using TUNEL staining.
Results: The numerical density per unit area (NA) of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in SC and the dorsal
LGN (dLGN) in neonates born to the diabetic rats compared to the control group at P0, P7, and P14. However, insulin
treatment normalized the number of apoptotic cells.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that maternal diabetes increased apoptosis in dLGN and SC of male neonates
at P0, P7, and P14.
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