Evaluating relationship between expression of IRS-1 gene and insulin resistance in the brain of gestational diabetes mellitus rat

This study was conducted to see the link between IRS-I and insulin resistance in the brain of GDM rats. GDM seems to have similar pathophysiology with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus {T2DM). Defect in pancreatic beta cell function contributes to GDM due to insulin resistance during the gestation period. IRS- I is a protein that plays an important role in the insulin signaling pathway. Defect in IRS-I function will affect the signaling pathway, which contributes to insulin resistant in GDM. The study was done on female Sprague-Dawley rats and the rats were fed with high-fat sucrose diet, impregnated and induced with Streptozotosin and Nicotinamide on gestational day O (DO). The rats were tested for glycemic parameter (glucose) and gene affecting insulin signaling (IRS-I). GDM group showed significantly higher blood glucose than control group. Besides, low levels of IRS-I in GDM group than control group indicate possible defect of insulin signalling. Our results suggest that, the expression of IRS-I is down­ regulated in the GDM rat group compare to control rats group. However, statistical analysis showed that the expression of IRS-I in the rat brain for both groups is statistically insignificance.