Probiotics alleviate maternal metabolic disorders and offspring-islet abnormalities in gestational diabetic mice

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) amplifies the intergenerational risk for early-onset metabolic diseases in offspring, yet the pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the impacts of GDM on islets development and maturation in offspring mice and whether probiotics (BiLaEn) have protective effects. Strikingly, GDM caused abnormal prenatal development of islets in offspring mice, with abnormally high-expression insulin and glucagon at birth, showing premature or quasi-mature state; the process of beta-cell maturation and mTORC1 signalling were not synchronized with normal offspring mice within 14 days after birth. Furthermore, BiLaEn treatment benefited the normal development and maturation of GDM-offspring islets, avoiding quasi-mature at birth, which were based on the improvement of intestinal flora disturbance and leaky gut in GDM maternal mice. These data highlight the premature development of GDM-offspring islets as potential cause of early-onset metabolic diseases in GDM offspring, and targeted regulation of intestinal flora is expected to be safe and effective intervention.

Automated summary

The study found that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has a negative impact on the development and maturation of offspring mice's islets, causing premature development and abnormal expression of insulin and glucagon. Treatment with probiotics can promote normal development and maturation of GDM-offspring islets by improving intestinal flora disturbance and leaky gut.