Effect of maternal diets enriched in PUFAs administrated to diabetic rats during early postimplantation on structures involved in decidual histotrophic function and feto placental growth

Abstract

Maternal diabetes induces alterations in decidualization, which may impact on decidual histotrophic function that include key roles of the uterine glands (UG) and the glycogenic area (GA). uNK cells, in- volved in angiogenesis and vessels remodeling, are needed for an adequate decidualization and feto-placental development. We pre- viously found that maternal diets enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevent increased resorption rates in diabetic preg- nancies. Aim: To evaluate the effect of diets enriched in sunflower and chia oil (rich in n-6 and n-3 PUFAs respectively) administrated during early postimplantation to diabetic rats on PAS staining of the GA and UG and on the number of uNK cells at day 9 of pregnancy and on decidual, fetal and placental growth at day 14 of pregnan- cy. Methods: Pregestational diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). On days 7 to 9 of pregnancy diabetic rats received a standard diet or diets enriched in 6% of sunflower or chia oil. On day 9 of pregnancy GA, UG and uNK cells in the de- cidua were evaluated by PAS staining. On day 14 of pregnancy the fetal cephalic length was measured and the decidua and placenta were weighted. Results: At day 9 of pregnancy PAS staining of GA (p<0.001;74%) and UG (p<0.05;64%) and the number of uNK cells (p<0.001;62%) were reduced in diabetic rats, alterations prevented by the PUFAs enriched diets. At day 14 of pregnancy a decreased fetal cephalic length in diabetic rats (7.5%; p<0.05) was prevented by the sunflower oil supplementation. Both decidual (18.3%;p<0.05) and placental (12.4%;p<0.05) weights were decreased in the diabet- ic group. The diet enriched in sunflower oil prevented the reduced decidual weight while the diet enriched in chia oil prevented the re- duced placental weight. Conclusion: The early postimplantation is a key period for decidual and feto-placental development, affected by maternal diabetes, and in which dietary treatments can exert ben- eficial effects.