Impact of glucocorticoid treatment before pregnancy on glucose homeostasis of offspring exposed to glucocorticoid in adult life

Abstract Aims To explore the impact of GC administration periconceptionally on the glucose metabolism of adult offspring (male and female) and whether this periconception exposure might influence the metabolic outcomes when the offspring are also treated with dexamethasone in adult life. Materials and methods Rats received a daily injection of dexamethasone (1 mg/kg, body mass) or saline solution (1 mL/kg body mass) for 7 consecutive days prior became pregnant. Male and female offspring had glucose homeostasis assessed at 3- and 6-month-old and after dexamethasone treatment (1 mg/kg, body mass) or vehicle for 5 consecutive days. Then, murinometric, functional, biochemical, and histomorphometric analyses were performed. Key findings Male and female offspring born from rats treated with GC prior to becoming pregnant had none of the murinometric and metabolic outcomes (i.e., body mass, food intake, blood glucose, plasma triacylglycerol, and glucose tolerance) changed up to 6-month-old. None of the expected diabetogenic effects caused by dexamethasone treatment at 6-month of age (i.e., elevation in fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, triacylglycerol, and albumin, glucose intolerance, insulin insensitivity, augmentation in hepatic glycogen content, and increase in pancreatic islet mass) was observed in offspring born from rats treated with dexamethasone in the prepregnancy period. However, periconceptional exposure to GC predisposed the offspring of both sexes to a higher prevalence of augmented fed blood glucose values. Significance These results give validity for the use of GC as anti-inflammatory purposes in this critical periconceptional period, but highlight the importance to consider all parental habits when interpreting adult outcomes.