MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE MESENTERIC LYMPH NODES OF RAT OFFSPRING UNDER MATERNAL DIABETES MELLITUS

The present study investigated the effect of maternal diabetes mellitus on the postnatal development of mes­enteric lymph nodes (MLNs) in rats. Diabetes was induced in female rats prior to pregnancy by alloxan administration, and the offspring were examined between postnatal days 3 and 30. The offspring of diabetic mothers exhibited delayed differentiation of the cortical and medullary regions, the formation of lymphoid follicles and the establishment of interactions among immunocompetent cells occurred more slowly than in the control group. These findings indi­cate a detrimental effect of maternal diabetes on the development of the immune system in the offspring.