Mothers with High Blood Sugar are More Likely to Have Children with Arthritis

Researchers assessed the cartilage health of mice whose mothers had high blood sugar during pregnancy.

Compared to mothers with low blood sugar, these mice exhibited less healthy cartilage in the knee which was attributed to reduced functioning of cellular mitochondria. These effects were reduced by administering substances designed to restore mitochondrial integrity.

Conclusions

High blood sugar during pregnancy disrupts offspring’s cellular functioning in a manner that increases vulnerability to arthritis across the lifespan, and these effects may be largely offset by interventions that restore mitochondrial functioning.

References

Li, X., Zhu, W., Cheng, Y., Ren, Z., Liu, X., Yang, H., … & Huang, H. (2024). Intrauterine hyperglycemia induces SIRT3-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction: the fetal origin pathogenesis of precocious osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.