Streptozotocin‐Induced Maternal Hyperglycemia Increases the Expression of Antioxidant Enzymes and Mast Cell Number in Offspring Rat Ventral Prostate

ABSTRACT Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased in recent years. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in GDM‐increased risk factors to offspring remained poorly understood, some studies suggested an association between an increase in oxidative stress induced by maternal hyperglycemia and complications for both mothers and newborns. Here, we investigated the impact of maternal hyperglycemia followed by maternal insulin replacement during lactation on the expression of antioxidant enzymes and mast cell number in offspring ventral prostate (VP) at puberty. Pregnant rats were divided into three groups: control (CT); streptozotocin‐induced maternal hyperglycemia (MH); and MH plus maternal insulin replacement during lactation (MHI). Male offspring were euthanized at postnatal day (PND) 60 and the VP was removed and processed for histology and Western blotting analyses. Maternal hyperglycemia delayed prostate maturation, and increased mast cell number catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutatione‐s‐transferase (GST‐pi), and cyclooxygenase‐2 (Cox‐2) expression in the offspring of hyperglycemic dams. Maternal insulin replacement restored VP structure, mast cell number and antioxidant protein expression, except for Cox‐2, which remained higher in the MHI group. Thus, an increase in oxidative stress induced by intrauterine hyperglycemia impacts prostate development and maturation, which persists until puberty. The overall improvement of maternal metabolism after insulin administration contributes to the restoration of prostate antioxidant enzymes and secretory function. Taken together, our results highlighted that imbalanced physiological maternal‐fetal interaction contributes to the impairment of reproductive performance of the offspring from diabetic mothers. Anat Rec, 300:291–299, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.