A recent Chinese study found the cause and proof for the effect of diabetic mothers on the maternity. Previous studies have revealed that offspring of diabetic mothers display a higher incidence of malformations and fetal death, even when a one-cell embryo is transplanted from a diabetic to a non-diabetic mother. Diabetic mothers’ oocytes tend to exhibit reduced glucose metabolism, compromised communication between cumulus cells and oocytes, mitochondrial malfunction, and a decreased ovulation rate, all of which can be traced back to reduced gene expression in the embryos.
A study by Qing-Yuan Sun and Zhao-Jia Ge of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that maternal diabetes impairs methylation of imprinted gene in oocytes. This is the first time that researchers have shown that poorly controlled maternal diabetes has an adverse effect on methylation of the maternal imprinting gene Peg3, contributing to impaired development in offspring.
For more information: Chinenese Academy of Science