TITLE:
Effect of iron supplementation on glucose transporter 4 expression in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of pregnant rats
AUTHORS:
Mulan He, Jing Jiang, Shuangping Liu, Haidong Cheng
KEYWORDS:
Iron; Diabetes; Gestational; Insulin Resistance; Glucose Transporter Type 4 (GLUT4); Rats
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.3 No.6,
July
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: Objective:
The main goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of iron supplementation
on glucose transporter 4 expressions in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in
female rats during pregnancy. Methods: Twenty-four pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats
were randomly divided into 2 groups: a control group with a standard diet
(containing iron 150 mg/kg) and an iron-supplementation group with a high-iron
diet (containing iron 700 mg/kg) from day 0 to day 21 of pregnancy.
Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test was performed on gestational day 19. On
gestational day 21, all of the pregnant rats from each group were sacrificed. The
mean neonatal weights were measured and samples of maternal intraabdominal
adipose tissue and skeletal muscle were taken to measure the expression of
Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) mRNA and protein. Results: Glucose tolerance
decreased significantly in the iron supplementation group compared to the
control group. The mean neonatal weights in the iron supplementation group were
higher than that in the control group. Levels of GLUT4 mRNA in the adipose
tissue were reduced by the administrations of high-iron diet. The skeletal
muscle GLUT4 mRNA levels were not changed significantly by iron
supplementation. Expression of GLUT4 protein both in the adipose tissue and
skeletal muscle reduced significantly. Conclusion: These results suggest that
iron supplementation during pregnancy would increase neonatal weights and could
decrease maternal glucose tolerance by interfering GLUT4 expression in adipose
tissue and skeletal muscle of rats.