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Cantacorps L, Zhu J, Yagoub S, Coull BM, Falck J, Chesters RA, Ritter K, Serrano-Lope M, Tscherepentschuk K, Kasch LS, Paterson M, Täger P, Baidoe-Ansah D, Pandey S, Igual-Gil C, Braune A, Lippert RN. Developmental metformin exposure does not rescue physiological impairments derived from early exposure to altered maternal metabolic state in offspring mice. Mol Metab 2024; 79:101860. [PMID: 38142972 PMCID: PMC10792763 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and metabolic disorders during pregnancy are increasing globally. This has resulted in increased use of therapeutic interventions such as metformin to aid in glycemic control during pregnancy. Even though metformin can cross the placental barrier, its impact on offspring brain development remains poorly understood. As metformin promotes AMPK signaling, which plays a key role in axonal growth during development, we hypothesized that it may have an impact on hypothalamic signaling and the formation of neuronal projections in the hypothalamus, the key regulator of energy homeostasis. We further hypothesized that this is dependent on the metabolic and nutritional status of the mother at the time of metformin intervention. Using mouse models of maternal overnutrition, we aimed to assess the effects of metformin exposure on offspring physiology and hypothalamic neuronal circuits during key periods of development. METHODS Female C57BL/6N mice received either a control diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and lactation periods. A subset of dams was fed a HFD exclusively during the lactation. Anti-diabetic treatments were given during the first postnatal weeks. Body weights of male and female offspring were monitored daily until weaning. Circulating metabolic factors and molecular changes in the hypothalamus were assessed at postnatal day 16 using ELISA and Western Blot, respectively. Hypothalamic innervation was assessed by immunostaining at postnatal days 16 and 21. RESULTS We identified alterations in weight gain and circulating hormones in male and female offspring induced by anti-diabetic treatment during the early postnatal period, which were critically dependent on the maternal metabolic state. Furthermore, hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronal innervation outcomes in response to anti-diabetic treatment were also modulated by maternal metabolic state. We also identified sex-specific changes in hypothalamic AMPK signaling in response to metformin exposure. CONCLUSION We demonstrate a unique interaction between anti-diabetic treatment and maternal metabolic state, resulting in sex-specific effects on offspring brain development and physiological outcomes. Overall, based on our findings, no positive effect of metformin intervention was observed in the offspring, despite ameliorating effects on maternal metabolic outcomes. In fact, the metabolic state of the mother drives the most dramatic differences in offspring physiology and metformin had no rescuing effect. Our results therefore highlight the need for a deeper understanding of how maternal metabolic state (excessive weight gain versus stable weight during GDM treatment) affects the developing offspring. Further, these results emphasize that the interventions to treat alterations in maternal metabolism during pregnancy need to be reassessed from the perspective of the offspring physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lídia Cantacorps
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jiajie Zhu
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Selma Yagoub
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Bethany M Coull
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Joanne Falck
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Robert A Chesters
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Katrin Ritter
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Miguel Serrano-Lope
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Katharina Tscherepentschuk
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Lea-Sophie Kasch
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Maya Paterson
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Paula Täger
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - David Baidoe-Ansah
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Shuchita Pandey
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Carla Igual-Gil
- Department of Physiology of Energy Metabolism, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Annett Braune
- Research Group Intestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Rachel N Lippert
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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