Polyamines protect rat embryo in vitro from high glucose‐induced developmental delay and dysmorphogenesis

BACKGROUND : Pregnancy in mammals with diabetes mellitus results in low birth weight, malformations, and intrauterine death. Parenteral application of natural polyamines or their precursor, L ‐arginine, to diabetic pregnant rats partially prevents the alterations of development caused by diabetes mellitus. This experiment has been designed to understand if this preventive action also occurs in rat whole embryo in culture. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Rat embryos of gestational day 10 were cultured for 24 h in normal medium, high glucose medium, or high glucose medium supplemented with polyamines or L ‐arginine, and furthermore embryo growth and development were evaluated. RESULTS : L ‐arginine and putrescine partially prevents the dysmorphogenic effects of high glucose, whereas spermidine and spermine prevent these effects almost completely. CONCLUSIONS : Polyamines directly protect the embryo from the toxic effect of high glucose concentration on growth and development, although the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Birth Defects Res (Part B)86:58‐64, 2009 ©2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.