Gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy were found to be important teratogenetic risk factors for the development of diabetes in the offspring. Mechanisms of action and prevention of maternofetal transmission of teratogenetic susceptibility to diabetes are presented. Gestational diabetes induced in the F0 generation produced the following effects in the F1 and/or F2 generation: Early postnatal hyperinsulinaemia, decreased noradrenaline and serotonin and increased endorphin concentrations in specific brain regions, permanent hypoplasia of the hypothalamic ventromedial nuclei, decreased insulin responsiveness to glucose, impaired glucose tolerance and increased diabetes susceptibility.
1. Men who were born in war and post-war periods with shortage of food supply showed a markedly low prevalence of insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM), but not of non-insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (NITDM) in later life. 2. A significant increase (+ 54%) of ITDM prevalence was observed between 1976 and 1982 for subjects at 26-31 years of age, who were born in a post-war period (1945-50) with shortage and a peace period (1951-56) without shortage of food supply, respectively. By contrast, there was not found an increase --but even a slight decrease (-14%) -of ITDM prevalence between 1976 and 1982 for subjects at 38-43 years of age, who were born in a peace period (1933-38) without shortage and a war period with shortage of food supply, respectively. A similar clear dependence of diabetes prevalence on food supply in perinatal life could not be observed for NITDM. On the other hand, the prevalence of NITDM appeared to be significantly dependent -in contrast to ITDM -on food supply in adulthood.
In order to investigate the possible influence of pre- and/or early postnatal nutrition on the development of diabetes mellitus in later life, diabetes prevalences were ascertained in subjects of similar ages who were born in different periods with or without shortage of food supply. Between 1974 and 1982 the total prevalence of diabetes mellitus increased in Berlin/GDR by 26%. A significantly higher increase of diabetes prevalence (approximately 90%) was found between 1974 and 1982 for subjects at 26-33 years of age, whose years of birth changed from a "hypocaloric war and post-war period (1941-1948)" to a "relatively hypercaloric peace period (1949-1956)". By contrast, there was not found any significant increase of diabetes prevalence between 1974 and 1982 for subjects at 34-41 years of age, whose years of birth changed from a "relatively hypercaloric period (1933-1940)" to a "hypocaloric period (1941-1948)". These findings give further evidence for the dependence of diabetes prevalence in later life on nutrition in perinatal life.
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