Our purpose was to determine the effectiveness of the bioartificial pancreas technique in correcting (1) maternal carbohydrate metabolism and (2) fetal malformation rates in a pregnant diabetic animal model.
Insulin secretion from encapsulated rat islets cultured in the presence of homologous rat prolactin was determined and compared with that of controls. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic Balb/c mice were then transplanted with rat islet cells encapsulated within alginate microbeads and were then bred. Blood glucose determinations were made after transplantation and throughout gestation. Pups were delivered by cesarean section on day 19 of gestation. Outcome parameters from the transplanted study animals were compared with those of nondiabetic controls and untreated diabetic animals.
Insulin secretion was increased twofold in encapsulated rat islets exposed to prolactin compared with control values. Throughout gestation maternal weights and blood, glucose levels of transplanted animals were similar to those of nondiabetic controls. A fetal malformation rate of only 1.4% was observed in the pups from transplanted animals.
Transplanted encapsulated islets are capable of normalizing maternal carbohydrate metabolism in a pregnant diabetic animal model. This therapy, if instituted before conception, also appears to eliminate the increase in fetal malformations seen in diabetic pregnancies.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
1
6%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
1
6%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
1
6%
Psychology
1
6%
Other
0
0%
Unknown
4
24%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 14 November 2017.
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#12,344,283
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Outputs from American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
#9,449
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#17,991
of 43,050 outputs
Outputs of similar age from American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
#34
of 63 outputs
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