Gestational diabetes mellitus, not obesity, triggers postpartum brain inflammation and premature aging in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

Previous studies showed that women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are susceptible to cognitive dysfunction. We investigated the effects of GDM on brain pathologies and premature brain aging in rats. Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) after two weeks of acclimatization. On pregnancy day 0, HFD-treated rats received streptozotocin (GDM group) or vehicle (Obese mothers). ND-treated rats received vehicle (ND-control mothers). On postpartum day 21, brains and blood were collected. The GDM group showed increased inflammatory and premature aging markers, mitochondrial changes, and compensatory increases in the blood–brain barrier and synaptic proteins in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. GDM triggers maternal brain inflammation and premature aging, suggesting compensatory mechanisms may protect against these effects.