Maternal diabetes promotes offspring lung dysfunction and inflammation in a sex-dependent manner

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology Vol. 322; no. 3; pp. L373 - L384
• Main Authors: Pascoe, Christopher D, Basu, Sujata, Schwartz, Jacquie, Fonseca, Mario, Kahnamoui, Shana, Jha, Aruni, Dolinsky, Vernon, Halayko, Andrew J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Physiological Society 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Asthma; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cytokines; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes, Gestational - chemically induced; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Exposure; Female; Health risks; High fat diet; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin 5; Low fat diet; Lung; Lung diseases; Lungs; Male; Males; Matrix metalloproteinase; Matrix metalloproteinases; Methacholine; Mice; Neutrophil collagenase; Nutrient deficiency; Obstructive lung disease; Offspring; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory function; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Sex; Stromelysin 1; lung; asthma; inflammation; gestational diabetes; COPD
• ISSN: 1040-0605; 1522-1504
• DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00425.2021

Exposure to maternal diabetes is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for chronic respiratory disease in children. It is currently unclear; however, whether maternal diabetes affects the lung health of male and female offspring equally. This study characterizes the sex-specific impact of a murine model of diet-induced gestational diabetes (GDM) on offspring lung function and airway inflammation. Female adult mice are fed a high-fat (45% kcal) diet for 6 wk prior to mating. Control offspring are from mothers fed a low-fat (10% kcal) diet. Offspring were weaned and fed a chow diet until 10 wk of age, at which point lung function was measured and lung lavage was collected. Male, but not female, offspring exposed to GDM had increased lung compliance and reduced lung resistance at baseline. Female offspring exposed to GDM displayed increased methacholine reactivity and elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines [e.g., interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-5, and CXCL1] in lung lavage. Female GDM offspring also displayed elevated abundance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) within their airways, namely, MMP-3 and MMP-8. These results indicate disparate effects of maternal diabetes on lung health and airway inflammation of male and female offspring exposed to GDM. Female mice may be at greater risk of inflammatory lung conditions, such as asthma, whereas male offspring display changes that more closely align with models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In conclusion, there are important sex-based differences in the impact of maternal diabetes on offspring lung health that could signal differences in future disease risk.