Gestational diabetes (GD) is the glucose intolerance that occurs during pregnancy. Mothers who develop diabetes during gestation are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) later in life, and the risk of adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes are also increased as a function of maternal hyperglycemia. Infants who are exposed to fetal hyperglycemia show an increased risk of becoming obese and developing T2DM later in life. Due to the need of new research on this field, and the difficulty of performing studies in human brain, studies using experimental models are necessary to suggest possible ways to avoid or inhibit offspring brain damage or harmful metabolic alterations. Here, it was made a review about the characteristics of the main animal models of GD, and what are the consequences to the brain and behavior of the offspring. In many experimental models, either by pharmacological induction, diet manipulation, or in the use of transgenic animals, glycemic conditions are severe. S961, a selective insulin receptor antagonist, revealed an increased fasting blood glucose level and glucose intolerance during mid-gestation, which returned to basal levels postpartum in mice. GD contributes to offspring neuroinflammation, influences neuronal distribution in central nervous system (CNS), and apoptosis during embryogenesis, which in turn may contribute to changes in behavior and memory in adult life and aging. The usage of animal models to study GD allows to examine extensively the characteristics of this condition, the molecular mechanisms involved and the consequences to the brain and behavior of the offspring.

妊娠糖尿病 (GD) 是妊娠期间发生的葡萄糖耐受不良。在妊娠期间患上糖尿病的母亲在以后的生活中患 2 型糖尿病 (T2DM) 的风险增加，并且胎儿和新生儿不良结局的风险也随着母亲高血糖而增加。暴露于胎儿高血糖症的婴儿在以后的生活中变得肥胖和发展为 T2DM 的风险增加。由于该领域需要新的研究，并且在人脑中进行研究存在困难，因此有必要使用实验模型进行研究，以提出避免或抑制后代脑损伤或有害代谢改变的可能方法。在这里，就GD主要动物模型的特点，以及对后代的大脑和行为的影响进行了综述。在许多实验模型中，无论是通过药理学诱导、饮食控制，还是使用转基因动物，血糖状况都很严重。S961 是一种选择性胰岛素受体拮抗剂，在妊娠中期显示空腹血糖水平升高和葡萄糖耐受不良，恢复到基础水平小鼠产后。GD 会导致后代神经炎症、影响中枢神经系统 (CNS) 中的神经元分布以及胚胎发生过程中的细胞凋亡，进而可能导致成年和衰老过程中行为和记忆的改变。使用动物模型来研究 GD 可以广泛地检查这种情况的特征、所涉及的分子机制以及对大脑和后代行为的影响。