Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome caused by a deficiency of insulin and
is manifested by abnormal carbohydrate protein and fat metabolism together
with water and electrolyte imbalance. This work was done to
study the toxic effects of diabetes mellitus on the intrauterine development
of the cerebral cortex and spinal medulla.
Sixty rat foeti were used in this study. They were classified into two
equal groups . control and experimentaL The experimental group was obtained
by givin the mothers in the first day of pregnancy a single dose of
streptozotocin (S12) (50 mg / kg body weight) . This dose induced severe
diabetes mellitus in the pregnant rats. Foeti were taken from sacrificed
mothers on the 15th & the 2/ st day of gestation.They were used to
study the effects of diabetes mellitus on the prenatal deveolpment of the
cerebral hemisphere and spinal medulla.
Light microscopy revealed severe degenerative and necrotic changes in
the cerebral hemisphere. In the spinal medulla, the grey matter became
larger especially the posterior horn and the white matter appeared as a
thin rim around it .The grey matter showed areas of necrosis and degeneration.
The central canal. was narrowed. Also, there was subarachnoid
haemorrhage. These findings show that uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
has serious neruotoxic effects on the prenatal development of the nervous |
