Can maternal treatment with metformin during gestation and lactation cause metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in rat offspring?

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to evaluate if maternal treatment with metformin (MET) during pregnancy and lactation could be safe for metabolic and cardiovascular parameters of adult male and female offspring.

Materials and methods: Wistar female rats were treated with MET (293 mg/kg/d) or tap water, by gavage during gestation (METG or CTRG) or gestation and lactation (METGL or CTRGL).

Results: At 75 days of life, male and female MET offspring presented similar blood pressure when compared with their CTR. The heart rate of female METGL was higher than in the CTRGL. The insulin sensitivity, basal glycaemia, body weight, Lee index of obesity, plasmatic concentration of triglycerides, total cholesterol and fat acid of male and female MET were similar to CTR groups. Lower fat pad deposition was observed in female METG and METGL.

Conclusion: MET exposure during gestational and lactation does not program cardiovascular and metabolic alterations in adult offspring life.

KEYWORDS:

• Antidiabetic drug
• maternal treatment
• metabolic programing
• developmental safety
• biguanide

Acknowledgements

The authors are also grateful to Fujiko Eliana Morinaga for technical support on animal care.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared that any financial interest or benefit has arisen from the direct applications of our research.

Additional information

Funding

Camila B. Vidigal and Daniella R. B. S. Novi are Doctoral fellows from CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).