We evaluated whether protein restriction during pregnancy alters the morphometry of pancreatic islets, the intra-islet glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) production, and the anti-apoptotic signalling pathway modulated by GLP-1. Control non-pregnant (CNP) and control pregnant (CP) rats were fed a 17% protein diet, and low-protein non-pregnant (LPNP) and low-protein pregnant (LPP) groups were fed a 6% protein diet. The masses of islets and β-cells were similar in the LPNP group and the CNP group but were higher in the CP group than in the CNP group and were equal in the LPP group and the LPNP group. Both variables were lower in the LPP group than in the CP group. Prohormone convertase 2 and GLP-1 fluorescence in α-cells was lower in the low-protein groups than in the control groups. The least PC2/glucagon colocalization was observed in the LPP group, and the most was observed in the CP group. There was less prohormone convertase 1/3/glucagon colocalization in the LPP group than in the CP group. GLP-1/glucagon colocalization was similar in the LPP, CP and CNP groups, which showed less GLP-1/glucagon colocalization than the LPNP group. The mRNA Pka, Creb and Pdx-1 contents were higher in islets from pregnant rats than in islets from non-pregnant rats. Protein restriction during pregnancy impaired the mass of β-cells and the intra-islet GLP-1 production but did not interfere with the transcription of genes of the anti-apoptotic signalling pathway modulated by GLP-1.

我们评估了怀孕期间的蛋白质限制是否会改变胰岛的形态，胰岛内胰高血糖素样肽1（GLP-1）的产生以及由GLP-1调节的抗凋亡信号通路。对照非孕妇（CNP）和对照孕妇（CP）喂17％蛋白质饮食，低蛋白质非孕妇（LPNP）和低蛋白质孕妇（LPP）组喂6％蛋白质饮食。LPNP组和CNP组的胰岛和β细胞质量相似，但CP组高于CNP组，而LPP组和LPNP组则相等。LPP组的两个变量均低于CP组。低蛋白组中α细胞中的激素原转化酶2和GLP-1荧光低于对照组。在LPP组中观察到最少的PC2 /胰高血糖素共定位，在CP组中观察到最多。与CP组相比，LPP组的激素原转化酶1/3 /胰高血糖素共定位较少。LLP，CP和CNP组的GLP-1 /胰高血糖素共定位相似，与LPNP组相比，GLP-1 /胰高血糖素共定位少。mRNA怀孕大鼠的胰岛中的Pka，Creb和Pdx-1含量高于未怀孕大鼠的胰岛。怀孕期间的蛋白质限制会损害β细胞的质量和胰岛内GLP-1的产生，但不会干扰GLP-1调节的抗凋亡信号通路的基因的转录。