Body weight and blood glucose concentration in rats of different sexes and ages exposed to intrauterine stress

Abstract

The aim: to investigate sex and age-specific changes in body weight and blood glucose concentration in rats undergoing intrauterine stress.

Material and methods. The study was conducted on the offspring (n=96) of Wistar rats: males and females of suckling (day 21), infantile (day 30) and juvenile age (day 60). Pregnant females were allocated into two groups. Control animals were kept under standard vivarium conditions. Rats of the experimental group were subjected to the stress of forced swimming in cold water (10 ºC) for 5 min from the 10th to the 16th day of gestation. Body weight and blood glucose levels of the offspring were measured on the 21st, 30th and 60th days of life.

Results. Intrauterine stress led to a decrease in body weight in female, but not in male rats on the 21st day of life compared to the control. By day 60 of life, the body weight of males exceeded the corresponding index in females. In contrast to intact, intrauterine stressed females by the 60th day of life were characterized by a decrease in blood glucose content compared to that in the previous periods of ontogenesis.

Conclusion. Intrauterine stress affects the studied physiological parameters in female, but not in male animals. This is manifested in low body weight at the early stage of postnatal ontogenesis and age-related decrease in blood glucose concentration in the later period of development.