Antioxidant system role and gender influences on the in vivo developmental competence of embryos at different models of experimental diabetes

Abstract

Regarding that diabetic pregnant women present congenital malformations rates, perinatal morbimortality five times larger than pregnant no diabetics and that, the preimplantation embryos of diabetic rats present high apoptosis index as the glycemic level increases, our hypothesis is that the immaturity in the antioxidant system in preimplantation embryo contributes to the embryopathies and other repercussions the short, medium, and long period in the exposed fetuses to the diabetic environment. Then, the use of animal models offers an important tool to investigate molecular mechanisms involved in the embryo development. Many studies were developed at our laboratory to evaluate the repercussions of the severe and mil diabetes in the maternal organism and in the perinatal results, it is interest of our research group to insert a new methodological tools in our laboratory starting from partnerships with other researches to advance the understanding on the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the embryofetal consequences, especially regarding the oxidative stress, which is intimately associated to diabetes. To understand the mechanisms for the which the preimplantation embryos present immaturity in the antioxidant system and the consequences of this state related to the maternal hyperglycemic insult, the technique of bipartition of morulas will be used, seeking to establish an exact pattern of the answer of the hemi-embryo to the exacerbated oxidative stress by the diabetes and the technique of reimplantation of another hemi-embryo for a receiving female, which will allow to evaluate the involvement of the antioxidant system regarding it is implantation capacity and development.