Neuroendocrine changes in female rats born from streptozotocin-diabetic mothers.

In adult female rats born from Streptozotocin-diabetic mothers, blood glucose measured under basal conditions or 30 min after glucose administration was similar to controls; however at 180 min 50% of offspring from diabetics was moderately hyperglycemic whereas 100% of controls were normoglycemic. The time of vaginal opening, and after maturity, the number of rats with regular estrous cycles was in the range of controls. After ovariectomy, control rats receiving estradiol showed a sharp increase of serum LH at 4 pm following progesterone treatment at 10 am, while rats born from diabetic mothers failed to modify serum LH. Estradiol receptors in cell nuclei and cytosolic progestin receptors were determined in anterior pituitary, hypothalamus and preoptic area of rats subjected to a 4-day estradiol treatment. Changes were statistically significant in the hypothalamus only, in that rats born from diabetic mothers showed reduced induction of progestin receptors coupled to increased binding of (3H)-estradiol in cell nuclei. These findings bring support for a hypothalamic defect in rats born from diabetic mothers, the reduction of hypothalamic progestin receptors being reflected in the reduced sensitivity to the positive feedback action of progesterone to release LH.