MATERNAL DIABETES INDUCES FOXO1 AND CONNEXIN 43 ALTERATIONS IN THE HEART OF THE DEVELOPING EMBRYO

HUGO SATO; SABRINA ROBERTI; DANIEL MUSIKANT; ALICIA JAWERBAUM; ROMINA HIGA

BUENOS AIRES

Congreso; International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA 2018); 2019

Objectives: Maternal diabetes affects the embryonic, fetal and perinataldevelopment and programs metabolic and cardiovascular alterations inthe adult offspring.We recently reported cardiovascular alterations relatedto the FoxO1 pathway and in connexin43 levels in the adult offspring fromdiabetic rats.Both FoxO1, a transcription factor essential in nascent vascular developmentand connexin43, the structural subunit of gap junction and hemichannels,have important roles in cardiovascular development. Matrixmetalloproteinase-2 (mmp-2) is a FoxO1 target gene that can reduceconnexin43 levels. We hypothesized that there are alterations in connexin43,FoxO1 pathway and its target genes in the developing embryonichearts of diabetic rats.Methods: The experimental model of diabetes was obtained by streptozotocinadministration to adult rats (50mg/kg). Control and diabetic ratswere mated with healthy males and at day 12 of pregnancy, embryonichearts were collected and stored for western blot, qPCR and immunohistochemicalstudies.Results: Total FoxO1 expression was increased (33%, p