Adverse pregnancy environments can result in elevated levels of glucagon that can affect the growth and development of the fetus. Using a lamb model, Dr. Sarah Cilvik, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics-Neonatology at Wake Forest University, and her team at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have previously demonstrated that elevated fetal glucagon in late gestation results in lower fetal weight, substantial reduction in fetal amino acid availability and protein synthesis/accretion, and lower uterine (maternal) blood flow.
Their new publication has shifted focus to investigate the effects of elevated glucagon on the fetal pancreas, and demonstrates that elevated fetal glucagon results in altered pancreatic development and fetal pancreatic function. As glucagon is elevated in states of fetal distress (growth restriction, hypoxia), it may play a pathologic role in developmental programming and potential risk for diabetes later in life.
Read the article here! Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Cilvik, author and US DOHaD Society member, and her team on their recent publication!
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