Objective To examine the effects of exposure to 2, 2-dichloroethene-1, 1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl) (p, p'-DDE) in utero on glucose metabolism in offspring rats.
Methods Pregnant rats were randomly divided into two groups with eight rats each and exposed to 5 mL/kg com oil (control) or 100 mg/kg p, p'-DDE for eight days by gavage from gestation day (GD) 8 to 15. Eight weeks after birth, offspring rats were chosen from both the p, p'-DDE-treated group and the control group and body weight was recorded. Oral glucose tolerance test was conducted following overnight fasting on all the offspring rats to determine glucose levels in tail vein blood, and the area under the curve of blood glucose was calculated at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min. Meanwhile, orbital blood samples were collected before and 2 h after oral administration of glucose for evaluating serum insulin levels by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results The fasting blood glucose levels of the offspring male rats in the p, p'-DDE group significantly reduced compared with the control group (t=3.94, P=0.011). For female and male offspring rats, the blood glucose levels at 30 min after oral administration in the p, p'-DDE group were significantly higher than those of the control group (t=-2.876, P=0.016; t=-3.862, P=0.012). However, the levels of blood glucose for the two genders of offspring rats showed no significant changes after oral administration for 60min or 120 min (P>0.05). The areas under the curve of blood glucose were significantly elevated in the offspring female and male rats of the p, p'-DDE group (t=-3.422, P=0.004; t=-2.804, P=0.038) respectively. The fasting (t=-3.33, P=0.008; t=-6.90, P=0.000) and 2 h postprandial (t=-5.19, P=0.000; t=-4.18, P=0.006) serum insulin levels in both genders of offspring rats were significantly higher in the p, p'-DDE group than those in the controls.
Conclusion Exposure to p, p'-DDE in utero may lead to glucose metabolism impairment in offspring rats.h
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